There are few dishes as comforting or as timeless as a roast chicken, and in With Love, Meghan Season 2, Meghan shares her take on this classic. It is simple, rustic, and made to gather everyone around the table. With fresh herbs, buttery skin, and caramelised vegetables, this recipe is less about perfection and more about creating a meal that feels like home. The kind of dish you can make on a Sunday afternoon, fill the house with the scent of garlic and rosemary, and end the day with something nourishing and elegant. This roast chicken is proof that the most memorable meals are often the simplest ones.

Ingredients

1 5-to 6-pound roasting chicken
4-6 carrots, halved and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
6-8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 bunch thyme
3 bulbs garlic, halved, divided
Olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Few sprigs fresh sage leaves
Few sprigs rosemary 
2 fresh or dry bay leaves, divided
1/2 lemon
4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pat the outside of the chicken dry.
3. Allow chicken to temper on the counter while you prepare your vegetables.
4. Arrange the vegetables in the bottom of the braiser and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and toss to coat. Nestle two bulbs of garlic in with the vegetables along with the thyme sprigs.
5. Pat dry chicken again with a paper towel. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and liberally season the cavity and the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Stuff the cavity with 1 halved bulb of garlic, fresh sage, rosemary, fresh bay leaf, and 1/2 of a lemon.
7. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
8. Breast-side up, gently work to release the skin from the meat of the bird.
9. Spread the butter between the skin and the meat and all over the exterior of the bird.
10. Tuck the last bay leaf under the skin of the bird.
11. Place seasoned and tied chicken on top of the vegetables breast-side up.
12. Roast the chicken for 60-90 minutes, legs toward the back of the oven, until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
13. Allow chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.
14. Enjoy!