Baked Chicken

I got home from school today, and I knew I wanted to make a meal.  I went through all the things I could throw together quickly, and nothing appealed to me.  I briefly toyed with the idea of baking of chicken, but then I thought that was stupid because I would be the only one here for supper tonight.  I thought a little more and kept coming back to the chicken.  Finally I gave in.  I've always cooked entire meals even if it's just me.  Food is a necessity for everyone, and it should be enjoyed.  It makes me sad that often times people who live alone will not cook something nice for themselves.  Go ahead, pamper yourself.  Make a chicken with mashed potatoes, and a vegetable.  You deserve it!

Picture of my plate.  I ended up burning the kale, so no greens.

My preparation for the chicken was fairly simple.  I took it out of the freezer to thaw, by placing it in a sink full of hot water.  I haven't had a microwave in over a year, and I really don't miss it except for defrosting.  After thawing the chicken, I put it in a roaster with a generous amount of salt, whole peppercorns, and about 7 cloves of minced garlic.  Then, I added about an inch of water to the roaster and covered it.  I baked it covered for an hour at 350 and then uncovered for about 45 minutes to brown a little.  I then used the pan drippings with some cornstarch for gravy.  Sometime I'll do a mashed potato post because my mashed potatoes are awesome.  

I'm very happy I took the time to make this meal; even if I was the only one eating it.  I boxed up leftover lunches for the next 2 days, and I have some chicken bones to use for stock (I'll do a post on this soon too).

What I ate: Wednesday

9:45 am: 16oz coffee with cream and sugar, kitkat bar

11:30 am: leftover kale, mushroom, and goat cheese tortellini.

7:00 pm: baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy