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Honey-butter Baked Chicken with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Amazing Flavors!!

Ingredients

  • 3 to 3-1/2 lb. whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 Tbls. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 Tbls. honey
  • 1 lemon, zested (save lemon after juicing)
  • 1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice (freeze the rest for another use)
  • 1 Tbls. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1-1/2 t. dried thyme, divided (or 1 Tbls. fresh thyme leaves)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

  • 2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream
  • 3 Tbls. light brown sugar
  • 3 Tbls. butter
  • 2 Tbls. maple syrup
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1/4 - 1/2 t. dried thyme leaves

Instructions

Chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange a rack inside a roasting pan and set aside. Line pan with foil for easy clean up, if desired.

Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place garlic inside cavity along with 1 or both halves of the juiced lemon rind.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon zest, juice and butter; set aside.

Place chicken on the rack in the roasting pan, breast side up, cover and roast until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Uncover; using a pastry brush, brush half of the honey mixture over the chicken, as well as sprinkling with 1 t. dried thyme and return to the oven.

Continue to cook another 30 - 45 minutes or until instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven and brush the remaining honey blend and sprinkle with remaining thyme over the chicken.

Transfer chicken to a platter or cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Lightly prick the potatoes a few times with a fork and place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a little canola oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees, until knife tender (when they begin to ooze sugary syrup) about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the thickness of potatoes. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add cream, brown sugar, butter, syrup, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside and keep warm until serving with chicken.

If making ahead of time, transfer to a greased shallow casserole dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake to heat. I reheated, covered, the last 45 minutes while the chicken was baking.

To Serve: Spoon the sweet potatoes onto plate, arrange chicken piece or slice on top. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices and serve (see Note below).

NOTE: I thickened the pan juices with just a little flour; not to a gravy consistency though. I also made the potatoes the night before to save some time; just had to prep and cook the chicken the following day.