Roasted Chicken and Scalloped Potatoes!

Ok..here it is..the roasted chicken and what I did.

H eat the oven to 350.

Salt and pepper inside and out. Drizzle olive oil over top, rub all over. Yeah, you're gonna get your hands dirty!

I cut up one clove of garlic into small slices and shoved it under the skin of the chicken. (Yeah..shoved)

Place in the roasting pan, , set your timer for 1 hour. :) Easy peasy!

Once you get your chicken in the oven start on your potatoes. Slice about 5 or 6 potatoes and one onion into thin slices.

Melt about 3 T butter in a large oven capable skillet (I used cast iron). Add salt and pepper. I use a big spoon, but I would guess it's about 1/4 C of self rising flour. Sprinkle flour into the melted butter. (HINT: This dish WILL take a good amount of salt)

Whisk it about, don't let it brown too much, you're making a white sauce. Some would call this bechamel sauce, some would call it white sauce, us country folk, just call it milk gravy!

I've added a bit of powdered chicken bullion in here too.
Now we're ready to add the milk. I've used 4 cups of milk, whisking the first two in. Pour and whisk at the same time. Once the first two cups of milk get incorporated and start to thicken, add the last two and whisk away till it starts to thicken.

TASTE IT!! Don't feed it to anyone until you've tasted it. It may need more salt, pepper or flavoring. Add some spices if you want, the option is yours. Make it spicy, make it Italian, make it however you want, but TASTE IT!

Now take those lovely sliced onions and potatoes and start slipping them into that hot gravy/sauce.

Get it all in there, and it'll look like this! Stir well making sure each slice is covered/coated in sauce.

Now, slip it into the oven beside the chicken. This process should not have taken much more then ohh 15 minutes or so. You should have about 45 mins or so left on your time, Go read a book, sew a seam or heck..write me a note!

Here's the done chicken, with all those lovely pan juices. DO NOT TOSS THOSE! I poured them over into a small container to safe for the next meal made with this very chicken. WHY in the world would you toss away flavor like that??..NO NO NO! Save it..we'll use it tomorrow!

When I took my chicken out, I added about ..ohh maybe 1/3 of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the top of my potatoes. This is not a necessity..it's just something I wanted to add. You could add anything you like, cheddar cheese, pepperoni diced up, bacon, green onions...or NOTHING..play with your food! (mom's not around to fuss!)

So...here ya go. Potatoes..scalloped Sage style!

Here's the completed dinner. I made some steamed broccoli and biscuits while I had all that time. I hope you enjoy!

Roasted chicken, scalloped potatoes, steamed broccoli, sliced tomatoes and biscuits. WHAT A MEAL!

SAGE