The Sunday roast has always been the meal a family looks forward to at the end of a busy week. I find this easy to prepare, universal meal is also easy for the cook preparing it.
You can simply toss a few whole chickens, unpeeled roots, lots of Herbs de Provence for the taste of summertime in the cold of winter.
Universal Meals Are Comfort Food
Comfort Food. What do you think of when it’s cold outside, the week has been long and you want some quality time with loved ones without more extra work for you?
How about something that warms the home, teases the tummy with aromas to hunger for, accompanied by a toasty fire and your favorite glass.
The Sunday Roast
The Sunday roast should be a whole lotta rough cut, unpeeled, simple down-home kind of food that does all the work in the oven and not by the cook.
As someone who loves to celebrate relationships over great food, I too would like to enjoy the time with family and friends and not spend hours over several days, in the kitchen.
Roasting everything in a huge roasting pot for me, is the woman’s version of grilling, for men (sometimes fire women too!).
No matter if you’re cooking for a huge crowd, or just a few on a chilled winter afternoon, an easy prep of birds, and winter vegetables tossed with an array of delicious flavors in a roasting pan, is sure to satisfy the desire for comfort food and with only one pan to wash later!
What Goes Into The Roasting Pot?
Chicken. A couple of whole chickens are easy and certainly affordable. Other cuts of meat can work too with the same ingredients and cooking techniques here except the internal temperature; various other meats need different temps.
Simply wash the whole chickens, pull out the package of internal parts sometimes tucked into the chicken and with a sharp knife, cut right through the breast to open the chicken allowing more heat to circulate evenly.
Veggies In The Roasting Pot
Potatoes. Lots of unpeeled, large, quartered potatoes with herbs, Olive oil, butter and the rustic ease to serve when the roasting is done.
Simply scrub the potatoes, preferably russet potatoes, quarter them long-ways, place them around the chickens on the bottom of the pan, closest to the heat and the drippings from all the other flavors.
Herbs In The Roasting Pot
I enjoy cooking with Fresh herbs, particularly oregano, have medicinal properties as well as lots of flavor.
I’ve discovered that winter is often the season of colds and flu and so I keep several pots of oregano growing inside, and a small plot of dirt, outside.
We all enjoy a little color in our food, so carrots are a must! They add color, vitamins and their sweet juices extract into the flavors mingling in the pot.
Simply scrub them, cut them into a few pieces per carrot and the work is done. Not everyone likes unpeeled carrots though, just a heads up, so if you’re not sure, just go ahead and peel them.
Onions add so much flavor to the drippings in the pan, which mean the gravy or soup broth will have lots of flavor.
I like to scatter the rough chopped onions throughout the veggies and into the cavity of the chicken, the sweet juices of the onion will disperse throughout.
Gotta Have Some Greens
Brussels Sprouts. Since we definitely want greens in our Sunday Roast Brussels sprouts are the easiest veggie to toss into the roasting pan and have them ready when the meal is ready to be served.
I used to Hate Brussels Sprouts until I tried them roasted. The dry heat cooks them without removing the natural sweetness in them, the way boiling does. So just cut them in half and toss them into the roasting pot last so they remain on top.
Sunday Roast Becomes The Weekday Soup
For goodness sake, or at least for your sake save all the drippings, bits and pieces that remain at the bottom of the pan once the meal has been served!
Pour some boiling water right into that pot, simmer it on top of the stove and cut up any leftovers from Sunday roast and turn it into a weekday soup.
Fresh veggies can be added, perhaps some lemon juice and other flavors to completely repurpose the soup into a totally new meal.
Grandma’s BEST Love Gift
Did you know that grandma’s best love gift is to bring her family together, gather around a table and simple eat a good ole Sunday roast.
I know this, because I am one of those grandmas, but there are times when it just is not possible. The next best thing, is for grandma to drop off a large pot of her Sunday roast for her family to stay at home, after a long week.
Often times I have picked up one of the oversize roasting pots from my kids during the week, load it up with chickens, veggies and other healthy herbs and spices and drop it off, uncooked.
All they have to do, is pop it into their oven, and just take the day to relax in their own home, get well and smell grandma’s cooking fill their home. Best Love Gift Ever!
Ingredients Needed
- Whole Chickens
- Russet potatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Brussels Sprouts
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Herbs de Provence
- Coarse salt
- Pepper
- Fresh herbs – Oregano or Rosemary
Equipment Needed
- Oversized Roasting pan with a lid
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Meat thermometer
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Oven
THE SUNDAY ROAST – Universal Meal
Course: Lifestyle, Meat, Salads and VeggiesCuisine: World CuisineDifficulty: Easy6
servingsA one-pot meal of whole chickens, winter roots and veggies with summertime herbs.
Ingredients
Whole chicken – 2, washed
Russet potatoes – 6, washed, skin left on, quartered
Carrots – 12, washed, skin left on, quartered
Onions – 2, peeled and quartered
Brussels Sprouts – 24, washed, cut in half
Butter – 4 tbsp
Olive oil – 1/4 cup
Herbs de Provence – 1/4 cup
Coarse salt – 2 tbsp
Pepper – 1 tbsp
Fresh herbs – 1 bundle each of rosemary and oregano
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425
- In a large roasting pan with a lid, place the 2 chickens, arrange the potatoes around the bottom. Drizzle a little olive oil across the chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and herbs de Provence heavily across the chicken and potatoes. Cut several pats of butter and scatter around the potatoes and chicken.
- Place some of the cut onions on top of the potatoes and inside the cavity of the chickens. Arrange the carrots on top of the potatoes and add the remaining onions. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle herbs and place a few pats of butter.
- Finish with the Brussels sprouts on top with olive oil, sprinkle of herbs and a few pats of butter. Tuck the fresh herbs in all the pockets throughout the pot and into the cavity.
- Roast uncovered for 30-minutes.
- Lower the oven to 376, cover and continue to roast until the chicken registers 165 internal temperature.
- Remove the cover, turn off the oven and let it rest in the oven another 15 minutes. Serve.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
