“What’s for dinner?”
In our house, that question isn’t the problem—it’s deciding the answer. For a long time, I felt like I was starting from scratch every single day.
So we started doing something simple.
We made a list.
You can keep it in your Notes app or tape a piece of paper right to your refrigerator. Everyone in the family has to add at least six meals they love—no exceptions. They get bonus points if it’s something that can be made in 30 minutes or less.
What you end up with is a running list of reliable, go-to meals. The kind you know everyone will eat. The kind you don’t have to overthink.
One of our family favorites that always makes the list is a simple roast chicken. It feels a little special, but it’s incredibly easy to pull together. I love using a locally raised whole chicken from FB Farms—you can usually find them at The Kitchen or at her store on Maple Road—and it makes all the difference.
Here’s how we make it:
Rachel’s Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken
Olive oil
½ stick butter, sliced
Salt + pepper
Garlic powder
1 yellow onion
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 head of garlic (top cut off)
Fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 425°.
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish (I use my Le Creuset braiser), then add the sliced sweet onion to create a bed. Set the chicken on top and pat it dry.
Gently lift the skin and season underneath with salt, pepper, and garlic powder—more than you think you need. Slide the sliced butter under the skin.
Drizzle olive oil over the top of the chicken.
Stuff the cavity with the yellow onion, the garlic head, and fresh thyme.
Roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness—the internal temperature should reach 165°.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
I always take the drippings and those sweet onions from the bottom of the pan and turn them into a simple gravy with butter, flour, and a splash of heavy cream. It’s too good to waste.
I typically serve this with mashed potatoes, or oven-roasted Yukon golds seasoned with salt, lemon pepper, and slices of fresh lemon.
I usually make this on a Sunday afternoon around 3:30, so it’s ready by 5—just in time to gather everyone together.
It’s also one of my favorite meals to serve when we have people over—simple, comforting, and it always feels a little special without being complicated.
And honestly, this is the kind of meal that brings everyone together. Whether it’s around the table or gathered in the living room with plates on the coffee table and a movie on, it’s less about perfection and more about being together.
And this is one of those meals that keeps giving—perfect for leftovers the next day.
Instead of asking “what sounds good?” (and getting no real answers), you’re choosing from a list that’s already been approved.
Some weeks I build our whole meal plan from it. Other days, I just pick one when I’m stuck. Either way, it takes the pressure off.
And if someone complains?
I just remind them… they put it on the list.
