Birthday Dinner : Roast Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Cheesy Baked Broccoli

Posted by Dexie

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. In lieu of an expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant we can't afford right now I decided to cook one at home. Everything turned out great even though I slightly burnt the cheesy broccoli. We ate them all up and the birthday boy was very satisfied and thankful which is the most important thing since it was his day afterall :).

For roasting the chicken, I just rubbed it down with a mixture of seasonings: salt, black pepper, paprika, dried basil, italian seasonings and lemon pepper. I laid it down on top of a rack, then placed it on a roasting pan, covered it with foil and baked it in the oven, 385 degrees, until the meat thermometer read 180 degrees.

For the potatoes, I first season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and talian seasonings. Then I mixed in a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. I laid them down around the roasting chicken. But I didn't put them in the pan until after the chicken has baked for at least 35 minutes.

Actually, this might sound confusing but try to stay with me here, when I first put the chicken in the oven, I covered the pan with a foil. After 30 minutes, I basted the chicken with it's own juice from the pan, then I added the potatoes all around the pan. Put the cover back. Bake the whole thing for another 30 minutes. After that, uncover the pan, baste the chicken one more time and continue the baking process for another 30 minutes or until the meat thermometer registers 180.

Still with me?, Good.....

For this side dish, I boiled the broccoli florets until slightly cooked. Drained the water off, transfered the broccoli on a baking pan, sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs. Baked it in the oven for about 15 minutes. I over baked it so it was slightly burnt but it was still good though, surprisingly..WHEWW!

If you have no breadcrumbs in your pantry, do what I did. I toasted 2 slices of breat and just grinded them in the blender. Easy, huh?.

If you have any questions regarding this spread, just leave me a comment and I'll get back to you ASAP or email me at dexie76@gmail.com. I hope you try this scrumtious meal in your home.

TAGS: Birthday Meals, Broccoli, Chicken, Potatoes, Roasts, Side Dishes, Special Occassions, Tips, Tricks
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