Rustic Roast Chicken and Vegetables

This is a delicious one pan dinner with savory chicken and delicious roasted veggies. The addition of lemon slices and prunes gives it an extra kick!

Ingtedients:
4 lb chicken
2 tbsps butter
a few sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsps olive oil
2 onions, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut in chunks
2 large tomatoes, halved
4 carrots, unpeeled and cut in chunks
a handful of dried prunes (I know it's kinda random!)
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Strip the thyme from the sprigs and mix it into the butter along with salt and pepper. Lift the skin of the chicken and tuck in blobs of the seasoned butter, mostly along the breast. Then spread more of the butter on the outside of the chicken and again add salt and pepper.

Mix the garlic, onions, celery, carrots, olive oil and prunes together. Yes prunes... I know it sounds weird but it really works to add another layer of flavour! Place this mix around the chicken in a baking dish then add the lemon slices and tomato halves. Salt and pepper to taste.

Let the chicken sit at round temperature for 1 hour then pour the broth in the bottom of the pan and bake in a 475 F oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 F and continue baking another 1  1/2 hours.  Don't forget to baste the chicken with the pan juices a couple of times while roasting.

The skin is golden and a little crispy and the meat is juicy and tender.

Served here with mashed potatoes because you know... meat and potatoes man in the house! But you could definitely just serve up this chicken alongside a hearty spoonful of these mixed veggies!