Roasting Cheap Chicken for Dummies

Giant frequently has chicken drumsticks, thighs, and/or quarters on sale for $0.99/lb. Sometimes, whole roasting chickens are $0.69/lb., too.

If you're thinking, "Great...but what on earth do I do with these?" - try out roasting.

You can adapt this however you desire; the main idea is to get a flavorful marinade mix under the skin, and salt and oil on the outside, to really punch up the flavor as it roasts. Afterwards, the skin and marinade come off quite easily if you want to skip some fat.

Flexible Roast Chicken:

In a mini-chopper or blender, blend:
~1 cup of marinated jarred Mediterranean veggies
(like any of the following: artichokes, capers, olives, mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers, etc. - as long as it's been hanging out in a jar of sharp marinade)
3-5 cloves garlic, depending on taste
1 small onion, like a shallot, or 1/4 regular sized onion
1 generous dash of salt
1 generous dash of pepper or lemon pepper

Once you've pureed this mix, arrange your chicken in an oven-safe dish. Lift the skin, and evenly distribute the marinade under the skin.

Over the chicken, add:
1 generous drizzle oil
Salt, to taste (kosher/large grain salts are good, too!)
Garlic and onion powder, if desired
Generous shake herbs of your choice. (I like rosemary and oregano.)

If you are roasting chicken pieces: Cover pan with lid or foil. Bake at 400 degrees for ~50 minutes, or until done (chicken should be golden brown on top, with no remaining pink).

If you are roasting a whole chicken: Bake at 350 for at least 2 hours, or until done (no remaining pink - juices run clear).