The Benefit Of Roasting Chicken On A Bed Of Vegetables

There's never a wrong time to cook a chicken dinner; it's hearty, versatile, and a certified family favorite. Whether you're prepping chicken breast for a creamy alfredo dish, frying up thighs for a game night, or skewering kebabs at the cookout, the possibilities for preparing a satisfying chicken-based meal are endless.

Not only is chicken a utilitarian ingredient that just about any meat eater can enjoy, but it's also one of the healthiest animal products on the market thanks to its low-fat, high-protein makeup. According to the American Heart Association, chicken — especially lean, light cuts like the breast — makes a great substitute for red meats like pork and beef. Among the many ways to prepare chicken, one of the lightest options is to roast it. Plus, it's easy: If you're feeding a family, just break out the roasting pan and please everyone with a whole roasted chicken.

However, if you don't have a proper roasting pan or you simply want to shake up your usual one-pan dinner, then roasting your chicken on a bed of vegetables is a handy alternative that gives you even more food.

A roasting pan is a kitchen appliance designed to give a whole chicken, turkey, or other large piece of meat a 360-degree roast. Essentially, a roasting pan is a deep-dish sheet pan with a rack that rests above it and acts as a throne for the protein of your choice. The bottom tray collects drippings that filter through the rack's gaps, explains Dalstrong. Although it's a great tool, you can still enjoy a roast chicken without a roasting pan.

According to Better Homes & Gardens, assembling a makeshift roasting pan out of a vegetable medley is the roasting pan life hack you didn't know you needed. If you layer a bed of vegetables on the bottom of an oven-safe dish and then place your chicken on top of it, heat circulation is still able to travel around the whole chicken, giving you the same juicy, evenly roasted result that a roasting pan would. Only this time, you also have roasted vegetables infused with incredible pan drippings on the side.