Thanksgiving: Roasted Chicken with Herbed Butter and Gravy

We have reached the crowning glory of any Thanksgiving meal....  The chicken!

This year, I decided to make it in the crock-pot for a few reasons--1) it frees up the oven for other yummies and 2) so the kitchen is not an inferno and 3) because who wants to get up at 5 AM on your day off just to sit a bird in the oven (see reason 2).  I rest my case.

The one downfall is that the skin isn't crispy.  That's fine with my family since we don't eat it anyway.

Anyway!  On to the bird!

 

{Roasted Chicken with Herbed Butter and Gravy!}

 

{Use any herb(s) for the butter that you want!  I used country herbs (rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano--I believe)}

 

{Separate the skin from the meat as much as you can.  You can separate more than this--it's just hard to do it one handed and take a picture LOL}

 

{Take 2/3 of the herbed butter and rub it under the skin}

 

{Rub the remaining butter on the outside and place in a crock-pot}

 

{Done!}

 

{Bonus!  The chicken literally falls apart when you take it out of the crock-pot--no carving needed!}

 

{Strain the juices that are in the crock-pot.  The top is fat, but you need that to make your gravy!}

 

{Skim off fat, add flour, and make a roux}

 {Add the broth back in to make the gravy!}

One year ago: Garlic Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Herbed Butter and Gravy

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons mixed herbs (or if you want to focus on a particular herb, feel free)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 whole chicken, 3-4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup flour
Broth to get chicken juices to 2 cups

1. Mix butter, herbs, pepper, and salt together until well combined.
2. Rub chicken under the skin with 2/3 of the butter mixture.  Rub the remaining butter mixture on the outsides of the chicken.
3. Stuff the chicken with thyme and garlic.
4. Place in a crock-pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours, on low for 6-7 hours.
5. Pull chicken out of crock-pot and strain big pieces of chicken out.
6. Spoon the fat that will rise to the top into a saucepan.
7. Heat the fat and add flour to make a roux.
8. Add broth to the chicken juices to get 2 cups of liquid.  I didn't need to add any, but just in case!
9. Add liquid to roux and cook until thick, about 5 minutes.
10. Serve! 

What do you typically have as the centerpiece to your Thanksgiving?  Is it a ham?  A goose?  A turducken?

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