Weeknight Roasted Chicken

This was a fun weeknight dinner that prepped quickly and then spent significant time in the oven providing some time to have a martini look at the paper, etc.

A four pound chicken is about the size of a football and cooks in about 90 minutes. Pretty simple stuff here, cut up an onion and stuff it in the cavity with whatever extra fresh herbs I have on hand; olive oil on the outside of the bird followed by liberal amounts of salt and pepper; into the oven for the first half hour, covered with foil, at 450. At 30 minutes, uncover and reduce to 350 for another 50-60 minutes. I check that it's done with an instant read thermometer (160 degrees).

So I was thinking chicken, salad, and couscous but then spotted aging potatoes. Within a few minutes I go from baked to mashed to gratin and arrive at scalloped. I pull out A Passion For Potatoes, by Lydie Marshall. I've had this cookbook for

years and I turn to it regularly for gratin's, roasted potatoes and tonight scalloped. Adjusting a recipe for "scalloped potatoes with blue cheese" to what I have on hand I end up with Scalloped Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese. Pretty easy; thinly slice two peeled pounds of potatoes (Yukon Gold in my case); thinly slice an onion; 2 cups milk (I had a little heavy cream on hand so I mixed that with milk); about a cup or more of shredded sharp cheddar cheese that I had on hand; layer a sprayed 9x13 roasting dish with half of the potatoes; next layer all of the onion; sprinkle half of the cheese; layer of remaining potatoes; sprinkle rest of the cheese; pour in milk. I salt and peppered the top and into the same oven with the chicken at 350 for what ended up to be 60 minutes. You'll want to go light on the portion size as this is rich but heavenly.Chicken and potatoes came out together and I served it with a salad.