Slow Roasted Chicken w/ Baby Potatoes & Lemon Mustard Sauce

Many of us have bought a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. While they are great when you are starving and want to put a meal on the table without any work, they can sometimes disappoint. Especially when the meat isn't juicy, it isn't pull off the bone tender, and it's flavor falls short of expectations. Did you know it is possible to create a rotisserie style at home? One having mouthwatering meltingly, tender, deeply flavorful meat that can be made in your own oven! I am here to tell you that you can! And here's the spoiler alert. The secret to creating the juiciest, most flavorful roasted chicken is a low and slow roasting time. 

Roasted for 3 hours (yes, three hours) at 300 degrees (F) is the key secret to making a roasted chicken far superior to any rotisserie chicken you can buy from your market. The secondary secret is rubbing the chicken with a butter and fresh herb mixture to add even more flavor to the juices as well as to the baby potatoes and garlic cloves roasting along with it. And yes, the potatoes and garlic cloves roast for 3 hours as well.

There are two ways of roasting the chicken. Place it breast side up and roast for 3 hours. Or place it breast side down, roast for 90 minutes, then turn it breast side up and continue roasting for another 90 minutes. In the first method, the skin has maximum exposure time to the heat and is more likely to get golden and crispy. In the second method, the breast meat retains its' moistness, yielding exceptionally juicy white meat. The downside is that the skin does not become as brown or crispy. So, you have to choose what matters most to you. A golden, crispy skinned chicken or one with incredibly succulent breast meat. I choose the later. Could I have increased the temperature to broil for 2 minutes before pulling the chicken out the oven to get a little more color? Yes, I could have. But I didn't. However, that is an option for you.

There are enough pan juices to make a gravy if you want. But why fuss if you don't have to. Besides the pan juices can be easily mopped up with some thick slices of a great bread. The Lemon Mustard Sauce is a great, very unexpected accompaniment to the roasted potatoes. The flavor of the chilled, creamy, tangy sauce served on the warm roasted potatoes creates a complex flavor profile that is certain to wow your palate! I highly recommend you serve it on the side and insist everyone at the table take a small spoonful to try before fully committing. I am willing to bet more than half of them will go in for larger spoonfuls! The addition of the sauce (served on the side) elevates a seemingly simple, rustic dinner to a whole other level. And turns an at home chicken dinner into something that feels more like a fine dining experience.

Paired with a great loaf of bread, a beautiful salad, and some wine (if you are wine lover) makes perfect weekend or Sunday afternoon dinner. This Slow Roasted Chicken w/ Baby Potatoes & Lemon Mustard Sauce is effortless and dinner party worthy! I wouldn't be surprised if it's one you decide is your signature dish, one you put on regular repeat. I also wouldn't be surprised if you never purchased a store-bought rotisserie chicken again. 

Recipe

Slow Roasted Chicken w/ Baby Potatoes & Lemon Mustard Sauce

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

1 (4 to 4 1/4 lb.) whole chicken (see notes)

2-3 pounds baby potatoes (see notes)

1 large head of garlic, cloves peeled

2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salted, divided

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano)

1 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Remove the chicken at least one hour before prepping for the oven.

2. In small bowl, mix together the butter, fresh herbs, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and pepper. Blend well.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F).

4. Butter a 9"x13" baking pan. 

5. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves to the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

6. Towel dry the chicken. Rub the butter/herb spread all over the chicken.

7. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and herbs. Note: You can make a well by moving the potatoes around, so the chicken sits in comfortably.

8. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet and insert into the oven. Bake for 3 hours! Note: You can begin by placing the chicken breast side down and baking for 90 minutes. Then turn chicken breast side up and continue baking for another 90 minutes. If you use this method, the skin on the chicken will not get to a golden-brown color, but it will still be very delicious!!

9. Remove the chicken and potatoes and arrange on a serving platter along with all of the juices. Note: Stir the potatoes in the juices before transferring to a serving platter.

10. Mix together the mayonnaise, whole grain mustard and lemon juice. Serve with the chicken and potatoes. Note: Ideally, make the Lemon Mustard Sauce when you begin baking the chicken, so it has time for the flavors for blend. Once made, cover and keep chilled in the refrigerator.

Notes: (1) If you baby potatoes are more than 1 1/2" in diameter, cut in half. If smaller, keep whole. (2) I used an equal proportion of thyme, rosemary and oregano to create 2 Tablespoons. (3) If you live in the Midwest, look for Miller Chicken (they have small family farms in northern Indiana and southern Michigan). Their chicken is absolutely the best.

Retro Cheese Ball

All it took was four white cloud kissed sapphire blue sky days of hiking in the mountains in Colorado to bring some much needed joy to my soul and spirit. Never underestimate the healing powers of nature as some say. After periodically returning back to the Rocky Mountains for more than two decades, its views and aura will never get old for me. Especially in the fall when the landscape is a tapestry of rich autumnal colors. While I am drawn to both the water and the mountains, I think my body craves and my heart longs for spending time in the soul-awakening, renewing, refreshing beauty and grandeur of the mountains. And as John Muir once said "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity." So yes, I am a mountain girl.

While Cheese Balls may not be as old as the mountains, they certainly have endured over time. They gained popularity in the mid-1940s when a published recipe led to many in the Midwest and South making it the obligatory holiday and party snack. Although there was a period of time where cheese balls went out of fashion, cheese balls have again been making their reappearance at all sorts of gatherings. 

There are cheese balls and then there are great cheese balls. The difference depends on your choice of cheeses and the ingredients chosen for flavor and texture. There are almost an unlimited number of cheese and ingredient combinations in the making a great cheese ball. In this one, goat cheese, shredded white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced green onions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper are mixed in with the cream cheese. The finishing touch is the Everything Bagel Seasoning.

If you have never tried the Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar, you should. It's nutty, complex flavor works incredibly well in this cheese ball. However, if you don't happen to live near a Trader Joe's, Tillamook's White Cheddar Cheese (sharp or extra sharp) would be your next best option!

Besides the cheeses and ingredients selected, the key to a great cheese ball is letting it chill for a period of time. At least 8 hours or preferably overnight. The chill time allows the flavors to blend, thus creating an even more delectable, slightly addictive cheese ball. To enhance the cheese ball's spreadability, I highly recommend taking it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Serve the cheese ball with your favorite crackers, toasted baguette slices, bagel slices, and/or pretzels. If the cheese ball is the only appetizer you are serving, surround it with some freshly sliced veggies. Your platter will then have all of the makings of 'girl dinner'. 

Make this easy to put together Retro Cheese Ball for your next movie night in, game night, or your next gathering. Not to sound cheesy, but this classic, timeless appetizer is bound to be a huge hit with your family and friends! 

Recipe

Retro Cheese Ball

Ingredients

1/4 generous cup everything bagel seasoning

8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, slightly softened

5 ounces (141g) goat cheese, slightly softened

2 cups (8 ounces/227g) shredded white cheddar cheese (See Notes)

4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Assorted crackers, sliced bagels, toasted/grilled baguette slices, pretzel thins

Directions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and goat cheese.

2. Add in the shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to blend well. Form into a ball.

3. In a shallow bowl, pour in the everything bagel seasoning.

4. Roll the cheese ball into the cheese ball, cover completely.

5. Place the cheese ball in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

6. Remove cheese ball from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

7. Serve with assorted crackers, sliced bagels, toasted/grilled baguette slices and some sliced veggies.

Notes: (1) I used the Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar, but would also recommend Tillamook's White Cheddar (sharp or extra sharp). Always recommend grating your own cheese, but if you are in a hurry use a preshredded cheese. (2) If you like a little more heat to cheese ball use up to 1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce. I used a little more than 1/2 teaspoon. My favorite hot sauce is Tapatio Hot Sauce.

Rocky Mountain National Park, October 2025