In the Kitchen with the Colletts: Rosemary Roasted Chicken or Turkey with Vegetables and Gravy

In the Kitchen with the Colletts is a guest blog series written by Brittany Collett. A single mother of three doing her best to make ends meet, Brittney has mastered being resourceful and preparing meals on a budget. Now she is using her skills as a chef and photographer to share her delicious recipes with the Foodbank community. You can learn more about Brittany and her story here.

Today I have planned a meal for all of you with multiple mouths to feed. Not only is it affordable and relatively simple but there are always leftovers for the next creation! Thanks to the Vermont Foodbank helping out local families in need, I was able to make this with my children and invite a few hungry friends in need of a healthy hearty meal! A large majority of my ingredients have come fresh to my door from these kind hearted people.

Rosemary Roasted Chicken or Turkey with Vegetables and Gravy

Cook time and temperature

Cook in 375° oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, lower temp to 350° and proceed to cook meat 20 minutes per pound, plus additional 15 minutes. If stuffed cook for an additional 30 minutes. I recommend cooking the stuffing separately to for best food safety.

Ingredients

  • Whole turkey or Chicken
  • 1 Stick of butter
  • 1 Twig of rosemary
  • 1 tbsp. Paprika
  • 4 Garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp. Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Carrots chopped
  • Potatoes chopped
  • Onion chopped
  • X Corn starch
  • X Chicken or turkey stock
  • X Milk

Directions for Roasted Chicken or Turkey

Defrost the turkey or chicken 3 days prior to cooking.

  1. Rinse and remove guts of the bird.
  2. Cut butter into small slices and stick it under the skin of the bird.
  3. Chop garlic and put 2 cloves inside the skin finely chopped.
  4. Separate rosemary from stem, chop and add to oil.
  5. Put 3 tbsp. olive oil in a bowl, add chopped rosemary, 1 tbsp. paprika, 2 cloves of garlic chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Put the meat in pan and cover 1/3 of the meat with stock, add the chopped vegetables to broth.
  7. Rub or brush the oil and herbs onto the skin of the meat.
  8. Bake per directions above, checking every 40 minutes and basting the meat.
  9. With spoon or baster take the broth from the bottom and gently put it over the skin, to help keep it from drying and make it crisp.
  10. Add tin foil or a cover once the skin is crisp enough for your liking.
  11. Continue cooking until its internal temperature has reached 165°.

Directions for Gravy

  1. Once the meat is done, take the broth from the pot and move it into a pot or pan on the stove at medium heat.
  2. Take milk in a dish, add cornstarch and mix well until there are no clumps. Start with 1/2 cup milk & 3 tbsp. cornstarch for every 1½ cups of broth.
  3. Add milk and cornstarch mixture to broth.
  4. If gravy is not thick enough, do this again and slowly add the milk and cornstarch while mixing with the broth.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Carve the bird and serve! Add gravy and enjoy!  ~B.Collett

You can find more of Brittany’s recipes in her series here: www.vtfoodbank.org/category/in-the-kitchen-with-the-colletts

Brittany makes many of her recipes with food that she gets from the Rutland County Parent-Child Center in partnership with the Vermont Foodbank, thanks to generous donors around the state. Want to support the work that keeps healthy, delicious recipes on the table for families all over Vermont? Give today.Â