Roasted Half Chicken With Cherry Sauce
plus Lemon Ricotta Crostini, Mashed Potatoes & Asparagus
- Milk
- Tree Nuts
- Soy
- Wheat
This elegant, cozy Mother's Day meal starts with lemon-ricotta crostini drizzled with honey and sprinkled with pistachios. Meanwhile, a half chicken roasts to juicy perfection along with tender asparagus. A savory cherry pan sauce is drizzled over the chicken along with a side of creamy mashed potatoes—the perfect finishing touch!
Ingredients
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Cherry Jam
12 ounce
Potatoes
6 ounce
Asparagus
½ ounce
Pistachios
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 teaspoon
Honey
1 unit
Half Chicken
2 unit
Scallions
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 unit
Demi-Baguette
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
Adjust rack to middle position (middle and top positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.
-
Slice baguette crosswise into 8 rounds (16 rounds for 4). Zest and quarter lemon. Roughly chop pistachios.
-
Place baguette rounds on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast on middle rack until golden, 5-10 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ricotta, juice from one lemon wedge (two wedges for 4), and as much lemon zest as you like; season with salt and pepper. Spread toasted baguette rounds with ricotta mixture and drizzle with honey. Garnish with pistachios.
-
Serve lemon ricotta crostini while you finish cooking the rest of the meal.
-
Trim and discard woody bottom ends from asparagus. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
-
Line a second baking sheet (second and third baking sheet for 4 servings) with aluminum foil.
- Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season generously all over with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (TIP: See a feather? Simply grip the end using a paper towel and pull!) Place chicken, skin side up, on one side of prepared baking sheet.
- Roast on middle rack until chicken is cooked through and skin is browned and slightly crispy, 40-50 minutes. TIP: If skin begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover chicken with foil. To ensure chicken is cooked through, insert a thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and breast (avoiding any bones). Once chicken is cooked, the bones may still appear pink—this is OK!
-
When chicken has 12 minutes left, remove sheet from oven and carefully toss asparagus on empty side of sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Return to middle rack and roast until chicken is cooked through and asparagus is browned and tender, 10-12 minutes. (For 4 servings, leave chicken roasting on middle rack; toss asparagus on the other prepared baking sheet and roast on top rack.)
-
While chicken roasts, place potatoes in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain and return potatoes to pot. Add half the sour cream and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4); mash with a potato masher or fork, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
-
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
-
When chicken is almost done, heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute.
-
Stir in jam, stock concentrate, and ¼ cup water (⅓ cup for 4 servings). Cook, stirring, until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining sour cream and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4). Season with salt and pepper.
-
Sprinkle chicken and mashed potatoes with scallion greens.
-
Serve chicken, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and pan sauce family style.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: The cherry sauce was a hit, with many praising its amazing taste. Some found the dish delicious overall 🍒.
- Ease of prep: While tasty, several noted it was time-consuming to prepare. Some found the instructions needed careful following.
- Suggestions: Consider using chicken breasts instead of half chicken for easier cooking and eating. Try microwaving or boiling asparagus if oven-roasting doesn't work well.
- Portions: Some felt the chicken portion was small, mainly bone. A few suggested doubling the meat for a more filling meal.
- Crostini: The lemon ricotta crostini was a standout appetizer, described as easy to make and refreshingly delicious.
