Bacon Herb Roasted Chicken

When I roast a chicken, I like to cut the backbone out and sometimes the breastbone, so that it cooks faster. Potatoes and carrots are roasted along side the chicken, then spinach and beans are stirred into the juices to make a tasty wilted spinach salad to accompany the roast.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Bacon Herb Seasoning

• 4  slices bacon
• 1  tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

• Roast

• 4  lbs whole chickens
•  kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1  lb  baby carrots, with tops (trimmed)
• 1  lb fingerling potato
• 3 -4  cups  Baby Spinach
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Fry the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper toweling; chop half the bacon and combine with chopped thyme and chopped rosemary, reserving the other half of bacon.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; thoroughly rinse off the chicken inside and out.
3. Place chicken on a cutting board and use kitchen shears to remove the backbone; turn chicken breast up and gently press to flatten somewhat.
4. Gently ease the skin from the breast and season inside the pocket with salt pepper and 1/4 of the bacon herb seasoning and smooth skin back over the breast; season the entire outside with more salt, pepper, and 1/4 of the seasoning.
5. Roast the chicken, on a rack, breast side up, placed over a baking dish for 45 minutes.
6. Remove the rack and place the partially cooked chicken into the baking dish; surround with the carrots and potatoes.
7. Roast until the chicken is done, internal temperature of 165 degrees F, and the vegetables are tender, about an hour; sprinkle with the remainder of the bacon herb seasoning and tent with foil about 10 minutes.
8. Push the vegetables and chicken to one side in the pan; place beans and spinach into the other side of the pan and toss gently with chicken juices.
9. Sprinkle spinach with reserved bacon, broken into pieces.
10. Cut chicken into 4 pieces and serve with roasted vegetables and warm spinach salad.