Lemony Garlic Roast Chicken with Crispy Sweet Potatoes

Roast chicken, crispy potatoes, fresh salad.  You'll never have to wonder what's for Sunday dinner again. 

What's more comforting than a perfectly juicy, flavorful and zesty roasted chicken?   With minimal prep and effort, anyone can prepare this no-fail Sunday dinner. 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 3–4-lb. whole chicken
1 whole lemon
1 whole head of garlic
3/4 stick butter
2 sweet potatoes 
1/2 white onion 
Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS: 
Pre-heat oven to 450.   Slice lemon and garlic head in half, crosswise.  Set aside.  
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in small bowl. 
Slice onion into slim strips. 

Slice the sweet potatoes into slim disk shapes, and mix in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon butter and thyme.  Assemble sweet potato slices on the bottom of a baking pan. 

Take chicken, and place on a plastic cutting board.  Take a paper towel and pat as dry as possible, which will help the browning process. 

With the chicken breast facing up and legs pointing toward you, use a sharp knife to slice through loose area of skin connecting the leg and breast, making about a 3"-long incision. Continue cutting downward until you hit the joint that connects the thigh to the body, stop. 

Season the entire chicken - front and back - with salt and pepper.  

Place the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes in the baking pan, and arrange the lemon and garlic halves around the chicken, face down.   Arrange onion slices around the chicken and around the open grooves.   For extra flavor, add 2 pats of butter under the skin of the breast (mmmm). 

Drizzle melted butter over entire chicken and season with additional salt and pepper. 

Place in oven for 45-50 minutes.  Roast chicken until golden brown.  Once roasted, set chicken for 15 minutes to let the juices and the temperature settle.   Carve and enjoy!