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Festive Roast Chicken Recipe

Festive Roast Chicken Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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With rosemary, apples, cranberries and ginger, this is not your ordinary roasted chicken! It's a great alternative to turkey for a smaller holiday gathering.—Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

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Festive Roast Chicken Recipe

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 2-1/4 hours + standing

Yield: 6 Servings

20 135 155

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, softened
5 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1 roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium apples, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey

Directions

In a small bowl, combine butter and 3 teaspoons rosemary. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Rub butter mixture over chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the apples, onion, cranberries, 3/4 cup broth, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon rosemary; place around chicken.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. Pour apple juice over chicken. Bake 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting every 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving chicken.
Pour drippings and apple mixture into a blender; skim fat. Cover and process until blended. Transfer to a large saucepan. Stir in the vinegar, honey and remaining broth and rosemary; heat through. Serve with chicken. Yield: 6 servings (5 cups gravy).

Nutritional Facts 1 serving equals 731 calories, 39 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 199 mg cholesterol, 626 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 58 g protein.

Originally published as Festive Roast Chicken in Taste of Home Christmas Annual Annual 2009, p44

Full-Bodied White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.

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Festive Roast Chicken

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(1-1) of 1 reviews

Reviewed on Dec. 26, 2010 by marya54

This was very good! It made a lot of sauce, so I was able to freeze some leftover sauce. Also added some cornstarch to thicken it. The butter/rosemary rub made a beautifully browned, moist chicken.