Tastes Like Chicken

Michelle's Rule of Life No. 524 (spoken in true "Olivia" style): Just because you like to cook, doesn't mean you have to over complicate things. While most nights of the week, I take pride in prepping a homemade meal for my family, I rarely like to fuss over it, so I'm always on the lookout for recipes that make you look like you've got Iron Chef-quality skills without having to invest Iron Chef-like time. Can you imagine how thrilled I was recently to find this goodie from Campbell's Kitchen (you know, the soup people...M'm m'm good?) in the Sunday Globe circular? Because I appreciate y'all, I'm sharing it, which is actually a BIG deal. Usually I just call such a recipe "Michelle's ____________" and say it's been in the family for years. So here goes. Oh, and make sure you've got biscuits or a loaf of fresh bread on the table...don't waste the yummy gravy!

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy

1 lemon  

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup  (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 roasting chicken  (5 to 7 pounds)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup water

• Heat the oven to 375°F. Grate 1 1/2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon.
• Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy. Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan.
• Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Brush the chicken with 1/4 cup soup mixture.
• Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Spoon off any fat from the pan juices. Stir the wine in the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy with the chicken.

Hope this tip solves at least one "what-the-#$%!-do-I-make-tonight?" problem. For nutritional info, visit the website at http://bit.ly/9zd8QJ.