This is such a great meal to make when you want to feed a lot of people for a small amount of money. It roasts in one pan so there’s not a lot of cleanup either. Another $5 Meal Whole Roasted Chicken and Vegetables. We have a whole section devoted to $5 Meal Ideas.
Where I live in the PNW I can find whole chickens on sale for $.99 a pound, on a rare occasion they’ve been as low as $.77 per pound. I always have at least one whole chicken in the freezer. Stock up when they are on sale to make stock, read our post and learn how to make 28 Cups of Homemade Chicken Stock for $6.82. I always have carrots, onions, and potatoes, those are staples in my house. Since there are only 3 of us I always have leftovers. My husband usually takes some to work the next day and I end up pulling all the rest of the meat off the chicken. I make things like chicken pot pie or chicken salad.
The breakdown for Another $5 Meal Whole Roasted Chicken and Vegetables:
Whole Chicken $3.84
Onion $.10
Potato’s $ .25
Carrot’s $ .25
No butter, just olive oil and salt & pepper $ .10
Total $4.54
It’s really easy to make:
Chop up vegetables that you want to use, it doesn’t have to be potatoes onion and carrots. You could use root vegetables like rutabaga and parsnips. My Grandma made it like that and it was so delicious. Layer your pan with vegetables. Clean the chicken and pat dry. I usually salt and pepper the cavity then add garlic cloves, onions, and celery inside for flavor. I rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Lay the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up. Some people tie the legs together, I do sometimes but you don’t have to.
Roast uncovered at 350° for 1 hour & 15 minutes. You’ll notice juices starting to come out, baste the skin with those juice every so often. After 1 hour and 15 minutes check the internal temperature with a thermometer. You want it to be at least 180 degrees, if it’s not there yet put it back in for another 15 minutes. Once it’s reached the right internal temp take it out and put the chicken on a cutting board. Make a tent with foil and lightly cover the chicken and let it sit at least 15 minutes. It should actually be 30 minutes but I get anxious and everybody is hungry so we dig in.
All the juices are so delicious over the vegetables and the chicken. It’s such a delicious hearty meal and so inexpensive. If you were feeling really adventurous that day you could make my Simple 3 Ingredient No Knead Dutch Oven Bread to go with it.
If you love money saving recipes and ideas, you’ll find more on our blog. Here’s the latest posts:
- Smart Shopping: 10 Proven Ways to Save on Your Grocery Bill
- 2024 National Parks Free Entrance Dates
- 2023 National Parks Free Entrance Dates
- Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad
- Yummy No-Bake Protein Bites
looks delish!