Apple, Garlic and Sage Roasted Chicken

1/4 cup butter, divided and softened
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 7-8 pound whole roasting chicken
1 Braeburn apple, cored and cut into 4 wedges
1 medium size yellow onion cut into 8 wedges and divided
1 24 ounce bag small red potatoes
2 1/2 cups cubed parsnips or baby carrots

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine t tbsp butter, sage, garlic, salt and pepper.  Gently loosen skin from breast and thighs of chicken, keeping skin intact, rub butter mixture under skin.  Place apple wedges and 3 onion wedges in chicken cavity.  Tie legs together with kitchen twine.  Rub remaining 2 tbsp butter over chicken skin.  Place chicken on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan.  Bake for 1 hour.  Add potatoes, parsnips or carrots and remaining 5 onion wedges to roasting pan; toss to coat with drippings.  Bake for 1 hour longer or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165 degrees and vegetables are tender; loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Another Paula Deen recipe!  This is the second roasted chicken recipe I have tried of hers and I have to say that they have produced the most tender, juicy and flavorful roast birds you will ever eat.  They are easy to prepare with simple yet flavorful ingredients.  I love using fresh herbs and I really like it when you can see, smell and taste them in your cooking.  This chicken was so juicy and tender and had a wonderful flavor.  The vegetables were tender and had flavor as well.  This one recipe has every thing you need to make a meal in one pan, you could just add a salad and bread and you would be done.  I paired it with the red pepper and squash casserole.  The next time you need an impressive dinner but don't have a lot of time to slave over a stove, prepare this chicken and pop it in the oven and you will have your meat and potato dinner ready in just a couple of hours.  Yummy!