Bacon Roasted Chicken

I just had to try out this recipe. I really do believe that bacon makes everything taste better. I wish it wasnt so bad for us! I cant resist sometimes. I love BLT's and bacon with my eggs, and even bacon roasted chicken! The bacon in this smelled so good when it was roasting in the oven. It was overcast out today and slightly cool, so it was perfect for dinner. I served this with herb roasted potatos and a green salad.

I got this recipe from Allrecipes. I pretty much followed it but I used olive oil instead of butter, and I only seasoned with salt and pepper as I forgot the dry herbs completely! I also added a stalk of celery and a small quartered onion in with the carrots in the cavity. I have to say, that this is not nearly as flavorful as my other roasted chicken I did recently. While it smelled wonderfully, the flavor wasnt as strong as I was hoping. I think that rubbing an herb butter under the skin just flavors it so much better than the bacon drippings did. Im sorry that I did not get a picture of this one. I dont know how that happened...and I was bummed. I will say that it looked absolutly amazing!

Bacon Roasted Chicken (from Allrecipes.com)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 carrots, cut in chunks
• paprika to taste
• 8 slices bacon
• 2 cups beef broth

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Rub butter over the entire chicken. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the carrots inside the cavity, and tie the legs together. Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. Lay bacon strips across the top of the chicken, and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with paprika. Pour the beef broth into the roasting pan - do not pour over the bacon.
3. Roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, the reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Baste with some of the broth. Continue to roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste every 15 minutes with the broth.
4. Remove the bacon and discard toothpicks. Roast the chicken for 15 more minutes to brown the skin. Transfer to a serving platter, and remove the ties. You may eat the bacon, but it is best to discard the carrots.