I always rinse the bird and set aside any thing that may have come in the cavity. The liver especially - but more on that later. I place the bird breast side up in a large Pyrex baking dish. I always add an inch of liquid to the bottom of the baking dish. This helps the bird be nice and moist and allows for gravy! After seasoning the bird I cover it in tin foil. I find that it takes two and a half to three hours to fully cook a bird at 350 degrees - however that will vary by oven, location, and size of bird so using a thermometer to ensure proper cooking temp is always a good thing to do. Remember that if you want the skin to become crispy remove the cover for the last thirty minutes of baking.
As you read this through you will notice a pattern. I use the pan drippings and remaining liquids to make gravy by whisking in rice flower then adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Add the rice flour just a little at a time to avoid clumps and overdoing it! Do this while its nice and hot but take care not to burn yourself!
Remember that liver I mentioned above? Well that has potential. I usually place it in one corner of the pan to cook along with the chicken. When the bird is cooked I remove the cooked liver and do one of two things. I either mash it with a fork and add it into the gravy - which is a huge flavor booster - or I save it to make dirty rice. (I love to make dirty rice - and I will share that recipe with you soon)
Now for the fun part - seasoning!
You can simply cover your bird with salt and pepper add a little liquid to your pan, bake and whoosh you have baked chicken for dinner. However it is easy to really add variety to your chicken dishes.
Ideas to kick around:
Apple Glaze (Our family had this one last night!)
Stuff your bird with plain slices of apple
Mix the following to taste in a little measuring pitcher then pour on your chicken or rub the powders on and drizzle with the honey:
1/4 to 1/2 cup of honey
Chilli powder
Cinnimon
Salt and Pepper
When the bird is cooked and removed from the oven - remove all apples from cavity and set aside.
Move bird from baking dish onto platter.
Add the apples you just set aside, into the baking dish. Slowly add rice flower and stir with a fork or whisk (remembering of course that the apples are chunks - which is why I prefer a fork to a whisk for this one.) Once this reaches your preferred consistency you have your gravy! Adjust gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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Mushroom Chicken
Stuff the chicken cavity with chopped mushrooms. Add a few in the pan around the chicken.
Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
When the bird is cooked and removed from the oven - remove all mushrooms from cavity and set aside.
Move bird from baking dish onto platter.
Add the mushrooms you just set aside, into the baking dish. Slowly add rice flower and stir with a fork or whisk (remembering of course that the mushrooms are chunks - which is why I prefer a fork to a whisk for this one.) Once this reaches your preferred consistency you have your gravy! Adjust gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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Cajun Chicken with broccoli
(I love to make dirty rice with this - and I will share that recipe with you soon) Add a salad and you have a whole dinner!
Stuff tight with raw broccoli flourettes
Add additional raw broccoli flourettes generously in the pan all around the chicken.
Rub 'Slap Your Mama' seasoning liberally onto the chicken. (Be aware that it has a hot kick. Yum!)
When the bird is cooked and removed from the oven - remove all broccoli from cavity and pan and set aside in a serving bowl.
Move bird from baking dish onto platter.
Slowly add rice flower to the baking dish and stir with a fork or whisk. Once this reaches your preferred consistency you have your gravy! Adjust gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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Orange Spice chicken
Stuff the chicken cavity with quartered Cuties oranges. Add a few in the pan around the chicken.
Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and pumpkin pie spice. (you may want to take it easy on the pie spice - a little goes a long way on this one.)
When the bird is cooked and removed from the oven - remove all oranges from cavity and discard.
Move bird from baking dish onto platter.
Slowly add rice flower and stir with a whisk Once this reaches your preferred consistency you have your gravy! Adjust gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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Rosemary chicken
Stuff the chicken cavity with sprigs of rosemary. Stick a few under the chicken skin along with a pat of butter substitute (I like Earth Balance).
Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
When the bird is cooked and removed from the oven - remove all rosemary from skin and cavity then discard.
Move bird from baking dish onto platter.
Slowly add rice flower and stir with a fork or whisk (remembering of course that the mushrooms are chunks - which is why I prefer a fork to a whisk for this one.) Once this reaches your preferred consistency you have your gravy! Adjust gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
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So your evening is off to a great start when you choose to make baked chicken for dinner but - how about those side dishes you ask? Well, rice is always a yummy thing with chicken. We also enjoy salad or coleslaw. Since you are able to have a nice gravy - plain cooked veggies are also quite nice. The veggie 'steam in bags' for microwaving is super convenient. I like to cook fresh whole-berry cranberry sauce throughout the winter season (I"ll share that easy recipe with you soon, too). Also, add some prepped and foil wrapped potatoes to the oven aside your baking dish is great so the potatoes just come out finished with your bird. Thankfully chicken is so versatile that the sky and your allergy free imagination are your only limits!
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