one-pan roast chicken and squash
and happy birthday to WTC!
Big news this week, guys! It’s the one year birthday of What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. This recipe project is a concept that I originally dreamed up as a cookbook. After publisher after publisher rejected the proposal, I did something that just two years ago I never would have dreamed would work: I decided to self-publish it as a newsletter here on Substack instead.
Within just a few months, I had already earned what I made on my book advance for my cookbook Just Married. After one year, I’ve quadrupled that number.
Why am I telling you this? Because it is a magical season, and in just a few short weeks, it will be a brand new year. Not to sound like the grandfather in a Hallmark movie but… absolutely anything can happen! I could never have imagined that I’d have my salary paid for in $35 increments by thousands of strangers across the country (and world!), but here we are. If one plan gets rejected… pivot, baby! Chase that dream!
Thank you all for being with me on this ride. I plan to keep What To Cook going for as long as it is still doing its job of making cooking easier and more delicious for all of you. Thank you for supporting this passion project turned career change!
and because ‘tis the season…
I’ve mentioned this several times by now but… gift some What To Cook subscriptions this holiday season! You get a subscription! You get a subscription! You get a subscription! Click here to print out a gift card.
this might be our coolest sheet-pan meal yet
It recently came to my attention that in an entire year of What To Cook, we have not roasted a single whole chicken! Roasting a chicken is a task that seems daunting to the novice cook but truly could not be easier. I even posted a video of how to carve a chicken this week to show you just how easy it is! My oath for this newsletter was that no recipe would ever take more than an hour to complete, and I promise to go back to that promise… right after this week’s recipe. It only takes 15 minutes or so of active cook time, but roasting a whole chicken takes about an hour and a half, so maybe save it for a weekend night if that’s an issue! (Click here and check out “what to cook when you only have 15 minutes” if you’re in a hurry!).
In last week’s Instagram Roundup, I mentioned that you could add a chicken to my roasted squash recipe to make it a complete meal. I then realized what a genius idea that was for an unconventional sheet-pan meal so set about developing this recipe.
In it, a whole chicken roasts alongside an entire acorn squash and a bulb of garlic. When the chicken finishes roasting, simply mash the squash and garlic together with a few other flavor bombs (chicken drippings — aka schmaltz! goat cheese! balsamic vinegar!). It is a truly delightful little meal.
one-pan roast chicken with goat cheese-mashed squash
Serves 4
Time: ~15 minutes active time, 2 hours inactive time
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