Sunday Baked Chicken

By suesoftballmom

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at rm temp
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Whole Chicken (3 1/2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Pound Yukon Gold Potatoes, halved
• 1/2 Pound Carrots, halved crosswise
• 4 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a bowl, mash together the butter, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, the thyme, and the paprika. Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the chicken all over with butter mixture, spreading it as evenly as possible so the chicken will brown evenly.
3. Scatter the potatoes, carrots, and the garlic in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Top the vegetables with a roasting rack. Place the chicken on the rack, breast side up. Roast, stirring vegetables occasionally, until the chicken is golden, the thigh juices run clear when pierced with a knife, or the temperature registers 180 degrees F in the thigh, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before carving. Service with the vegetables and pan juices.