Spice Cabinet Roast Chicken

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I want to know - What's your jellied cranberry sauce?  My mom served jellied cranberry sauce, straight out of the can, alongside the turkey and stuffing every year.  I'm not sure how this tradition every started but no one ever questioned the presence of that jellied mass that maintained the shape and ridges of its original container.  As far as I can recall, no one ever commented on how delicious it was or how it had the perfect "jiggle."  That jellied cranberry sauce was expected to be on our Thanksgiving table just as much as the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes.  

When, I got married and took over the responsibilities of making my own Thanksgiving meal, I didn't see the point in buying the jellied cranberry sauce in  a can.  I never really ate it anyway so I opted for a fresh cranberry sauce instead.  In an unexpected plot twist, I really missed that strange, can-shaped jelly cranberry sauce when it was absent from the Thanksgiving table.  Maybe it was the strange sucking sound that it makes when it releases from the can, or maybe it's just because I had never celebrated Thanksgiving without it, but our holiday meal just wasn't the same without it.  

I truly believe that every family has a jellied cranberry sauce.  What is yours?  What is that food that mysteriously appears on your Thanksgiving table every year without question or invitation?  Tell me about those odd Thanksgiving dishes that make your meal unique.  

If you're on the hook for preparing the Thanksgiving turkey for your family this year - never fear - I'm here to help. 🦃 My first piece of advice is to try out your turkey recipe on a chicken first.  Roasting a test chicken is a great way to try out a new turkey recipe and test your oven.  It can take less than an hour to roast a chicken and it's a great way to work out the kinks before the big day.  This Spice Cabinet Roast Chicken would make a GREAT Thanksgiving turkey recipe.  😉 Double the ingredients for the spice rub and increase the cooking time and you're ready to make a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving turkey.  

Spice Cabinet Roast Chicken
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 whole chicken
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine chili powder, oregano, salt, garlic and pepper.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Place in an oven safe skillet, breast down.. 

Rub with 1 T. oil and sprinkle with 1/2 of seasoning.  Flip chicken and repeat.  

Roast at 400 until breast registers 160.  (about 1 hour)  Let rest 20 minutes.

Stir cornstarch into water. 

Add cornstarch to drippings in pan.  

​Place over high heat and bring to a boil.  ​Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice.

Serve sauce with chicken. 

I'm happy to report that my Thanksgiving practice meal was DELICIOUS!  Apparently, I can use all the meat carving practice I can get before I try and cut our Thanksgiving bird.  😂

​Ciao!

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