Holiday Jam Chicken

I love roasting a whole chicken. My friend, Whitney, gave me a jar of Stonewall Kitchen "Holiday Jam" and I was planning on making roast chicken for dinner. The Holiday Jam is a fresh jam made with cranberry, raspberry and pear with orange liquer. I had remembered seeing a recipe a few years ago that included cornish game hens and a cranberry glaze. I did a little internet surfing to gather some ideas and set to work with the ingredients I had on hand.

I'd love to say that this picture is the result, but alas, I scarfed down the chicken so fast that I forgot to take a picture. I usually assemble our dinner plates before I announce that "dinner's ready". On this night, after I made the announcement my family wandered into the kitchen to find me standing by the counter and literally cleaning all of the scraps off of the chicken carcass. The chicken was crispy, juicy, sweet, flavorful and addictive. The fact that the ingredient list is so small and so versatile makes this a recipe I'll use for years to come. You could certainly use any flavor of jam that you prefer, I happen to like the consistency of the Stonewall Kitchen jams and jellies. I also love that their ingredient list is easy to pronounce and that every product is high quality. I love their products as much as I love SmartWool socks, and that is my highest endorsement!

And, since we're pretending here, I'll also share the recipe for the acorn squash that happens to be displayed beside the chicken. I first had acorn squash prepared this way during a trip to Wegman's. If you've never gone to the "takeout" section of a Wegman's, you've never lived. The quality and choices of the foods showcased is something I've never seen before, not in a restaurant, and certainly not in a grocery store setting. We were in between games during a soccer tournament and Rob and I split up and surprised each other with our choices. He surprised me with this acorn squash and it was so delicious and simple that I was sure I could recreate it at home. With a few simple ingredients, it makes a healthy and delicious side dish.


Holiday Jam Chicken
1 whole "fryer" chicken (about 5lbs) "we" ate every bit of ours :)
5T Stonewall Kitchen Holiday Jam
2 1/2 tsp Stonewall Kitchen Bourbon Molasses Mustard
3 T softened butter
1 tsp garlic salt
2 clementines, quartered
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
cracked black pepper
kosher salt

1. Loosen skin and spread butter on the meat of the chicken, replacing the skin after spreading the butter.
2. Mix jam, garlic salt, and mustard in a small bowl.
3. Stuff the chicken cavity with smashed garlic cloves and quartered clementines.
4. Spread the jam mixture on the chicken skin.
5. Drizzle whole chicken with olive oil, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
6. Uncover, raise heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.




Acorn Squash Wedges
2 whole acorn squash
olive oil
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
4 T maple syrup

1. Slice acorn squash into wedges. Remove seeds and place onto cookie sheet.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
3. Top acorn squash with freshly grated nutmeg and maple syrup and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until browned and "glazed".

****The chicken in the picture is grilled balsamic bbq chicken, equally delicious. Also pictured, roasted red pepper and asparagus quiche.****