Holiday Progressive Dinner - Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken for Two Recipe

*Disclaimer - I received Rachael Ray Oven to Table Stoneware products from PotsandPans.com to facilitate this review.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Adventures in All Things Food & Family reviews, all opinions and experiences are my own.  

This week I will be getting down to the meat of the matter... or at least the main course for this dinner menu. Now, I have to explain that in a family of 5 only two of us currently eat meat. I realize others also don't need to make an entire bird for their holiday spread so I chose to share a roasted chicken for two recipe. But, I will get back to that.

First I wanted to thank PotsandPans.com for being our fourth week sponsor. They sent me set of Rachael Ray Oven to Table Stoneware. These little Bubble and Brown ramekins match a set of larger casserole dishes in blue from the same line I already owned. I love how cute these are!

I have been baking with the larger casserole dishes for over 5 years now and I love them. They are a gorgeous and vibrant color of blue, they have been durable (survived a move!) and wash up easily. They bake evenly and double as beautiful serving dishes so hot food can go right on the table.

The ramekins were the perfect addition to my collection. The size would be right for small gratins, French onion soup, or a nice little dessert. I made this Pumpkin Bread Pudding recipe earlier in the week with my Bubble and Brown ramekins. The vibrant stoneware really helped to make the rustic pudding stand out.

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Here is the menu for this week:

Holiday Progressive Dinner 

Week 4 Recipe Links

Antipasto Kebabs at Daily Dish Recipes

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken for Two at Adventures in All Things Food

Creamy Corn Casserole at The Gunny Sack

Vegetable Medley with Cream Sauce at Flour on My Face

Butter Toffee Pound Cake with Vanilla Brandy Caramel Sauce at Busy-at-Home

This is a simple chicken recipe that I like to save for Sunday dinner or special occasions. Not because it is fancy, but because it tastes that way. To get started I grab a half breast, skin on and bone-in, and make a nice little brine for the chicken to sit in. With sea salt, garlic and rosemary, it is a quick way to make a very juicy bird.

Why chicken? My husband and I actually prefer chicken to turkey. It is also easy to find anytime of year.

Just give the bird a little time out in the bag. Stick it back in the refrigerator while you work on other parts of your holiday meal. Brine it up for at least an hour or all afternoon, depending on your meal schedule.

When you are ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the brine and pat it dry. Chop up a little more rosemary, mince some garlic and create a nice little paste with olive oil. Rub the chicken all over and then generously season with salt and pepper. place the chicken, skin side down, in a cast iron skillet.

Roasted Chicken for Two

You Will Need:

• 1/4 c. sea salt
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary + 1 Tbsp. minced Rosemary
• 1 c. hot water
• 2 c. cold water
• 1 large zip top bag (large enough to hold the chicken breast)
• olive oil to coat the chicken
• salt and pepper 

Start with the brine. Combine the salt, 4 cloves of crushed garlic, the Rosemary sprigs and hot water in a small bowl. Let the Rosemary and garlic warm through and release their oils. Then add the cold water to cool off the mixture. Pour it into your large bag and add the half chicken breast. Brine this for an hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and preheat a large cast iron skillet on the stove.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Create a paste with the minced Rosemary, garlic and olive oil to rub all over the chicken. Then generously season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the breast skin side down in the skillet and cook until the chicken has browned, about 5 - 8 minutes per side. Then place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Enjoy!

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