I always think of roasted chicken as a classic Sunday dinner. You know, with the potatoes underneath that stick to the pan and have that delicious glaze. But for some reason, I find roasting a whole chicken in the oven a bit intimidating. You can’t undercook it, but you don’t want to overcook it, and how do you make sure the vegetables are done at the same time? That’s something for me to work on in 2013.
In the meantime, I used this Slow Cooker Herb Chicken and Vegetables recipe as a guide, and used my crockpot to do most of the work for me. Most recipes call for pan frying the chicken slightly before placing it in the crockpot, and I do think that step makes a difference. The chicken gets slightly browned in the pan, and then the crockpot cooks the meat until it is tender. The seasoning worked well on both the chicken and the vegetables, and overall this was a good meal. Using this method allows you to leave the house while your chicken and vegetables are roasting, but you don’t get that crunchy glaze on the potatoes. That’s a tradeoff I’ll take at the moment!
Crockpot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
8 oz. baby carrots
6 small white potatoes, quartered
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 chunks
2 t minced garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T Penzey’s Mural of Flavor seasoning (shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel)
1 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper
3 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
Toss carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix oil and spices. Pour half of oil mixture over vegetables, and stir to coat. Place vegetables in the bottom of a crockpot. Add chicken to bowl, and pour remaining oil over chicken. Stir to coat. Place chicken pieces in a large frying pan, and saute for 10 minutes, until lightly brown. Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables in crockpot. Cook on High for about 4 hours, or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.
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