Recipe: Roast Chicken with Rye Bread Apple Bacon Stuffing

It’s hard to beat a good roast chicken. Especially on a weekend when there’s less rush for dinner.  We do it quite often because not only is it delicious, but there are leftovers plus I can make stock and a soup after!

Something to note: The apple bacon stuffing was created on the fly after I cooked bacon for toasted-tomato sandwiches for lunch.  That’s probably my favourite thing – when a new recipe is developed unexpectedly ;)  I have done a bacon-apple stuffing for a pork tenderloin before which is where this was born from.

Ingredients:

1 whole fresh chicken (about 4 pounds, but adjust based on size if bigger)

olive oil

4 slices rye bread, toasted

4 slices bacon cooked, chopped into pieces

1/2 – 1 cup stock

1 apple, chopped (leave peel on)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1-Cook bacon. When crispy, remove from fat. Set aside (and chop if not already done).

2-Turn off heat, but while pan is hot and using bacon fat, add toasted, cubed rye bread and chopped apple (I leave the peel on because I like the extra colour).

3-Add enough stock until all bread is moist.

4-Stuff into bird. Any left over stuffing can be placed at the bottom of the pan.

5-Add olive oil, salt and pepper to chicken.

6-Bake in oven, 375 degrees about 30 minutes per pound (or until internal temperature is at 180 degrees. I also put tin foil on top for the first half of cooking)

I served it with mashed squash and cooked spinach.

For Squash: Cut in half and bake in over at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until soft. Scope from skin. Add bit of butter, salt and pepper.  I did this earlier in the day and just re-heated when we were ready to eat.

For Spinach: Heat olive oil in pan. Add spinach (a lot turns into a little when cooked! you’ll want about 4 cups uncooked to make enough for 2 servings). Add salt and pepper to taste.  It will cook down very quickly. Do this while your chicken is resting before you plate.