Cozy comforting home cooked food is one of the simple pleasures in life. And when those comforting foods are also nourishing, then meal time perfection has been achieved. In celebration of my friend Renee’s new cookbook, Nourished Beginnings Baby Food: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Infants, Toddlers, and Beyond. Inspired by Ancient Wisdom and Traditional Foods, I’m sharing her amazingly cozy and nourishing recipe for Spatchcock Herbed Chicken. It’s the perfect dinner to curl up with in a relaxing Sunday night and enjoy the little things in life.

I’ve been an admirer of Renee’s for a long time (dare I say, fangirl). I first stumbled upon her wonderful site while both of us were contributors for Super Healthy Kids. Our similar parenting approaches, food philosophies, and passion for fostering a love of healthy food in the coming generation instantly drew me to her recipes and I continue to follow, love, and cook her creations in my own kitchen. 

When I heard Renee was putting out a cookbook full of recipes aimed at helping children love real nourishing food from their first bite, I instantly jumped at the chance to share the book and recipe with you all. Nourished Beginnings Baby Food: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Infants, Toddlers, and Beyond. Inspired by Ancient Wisdom and Traditional Foods is filled with truly traditional, back-to-the-wholesome-basics of feeding children. It’s filled will incredibly healthy and nourishing homemade baby foods as well as oodles of recipes for the whole family. Whether you have a new baby you are determined to raise on real food or a family simply trying to figure out how to feed on a daily basis, this cookbook will bring you inspiration and insight on how to make that all happen in a delicious way. 

Flipping through the pages of Nourished Beginnings Baby Food: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Infants, Toddlers, and Beyond. Inspired by Ancient Wisdom and Traditional Foods, I instantly stopped on her recipe for Spatchcock Herbed Chicken. It looked like such a simple recipe that could be enjoyed by so many. I instantly thought of it being the perfect recipe for a cozy Sunday evening.

I don’t know about you guys, but Sunday nights always leave me feeling a bit draggy. I’ve either ODed on fun from the weekend or I’m feeling iffy about having to wake up with an alarm clock the next day and be a responsible adult. Sundays are usually the day I want to cook the least, so this oven roasted chicken looked like something I could easily throw together and then snuggle on the couch with my family in front movie while it roasted. 

Bonus is that this spatchcock chicken recipe is so easy and hands-off, that you can make it on a weeknight! Throw the chicken in the oven and help the kids with their homework or put your feet up with glass of wine while the chicken roasts to perfection! As long as you have an hour to let the chicken hang out in the oven, then this easy and delicious dinner is doable any night of the week! Plus, the leftovers make for amazing lunches, soups, stir-fries, and salads!

This is what Renee has to say about her recipe about Spatchcock Herbed Chicken:

“Now this is fast food, real-food style! While I absolutely love my slow-roasted chicken, sometimes time just doesn’t allow for it. And in the blazing hot middle of summer, having the oven running all day isn’t exactly the smartest cooking method.

Grab up some of your favorite fresh herbs and get ready for that buttery, crispy chicken in about an hour!”

Oh, and don’t forget that once you’ve finished eating your chicken, save the carcass for making some Healing Slow Cooker Bone Broth.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 tablespoons butter for the bottom of the pan and the surface of the chicken (substitute ghee to make Whole30/Paleo friendly)
  • 1 onion, slices into rounds
  • 1 whole pastured chicken, split down the backbone spatchcock-style
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3-4 springs fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 3-4 springs fresh oregano, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C)
  2. Butter the bottom of a large baking sheet or jellyroll pan, lay slices of onion on top, and the spatchcock chicken on top of the onion rounds. Butter the surface of the chicken, rub in the minced garlic, and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and fresh herbs.
  3. Cook at 425 F (220 C) for 1 hour until the chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear. This quick spatchcock method locks in moisture fast and the meat is really tender. 

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