step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

step 2

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large cast iron skillet. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and sweet potatoes. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

step 3

Remove chicken from packaging and discard giblets (if any). Rinse chicken, inside and out, with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels (the dryer the chicken, the crispier the skin). 

step 4

Stuff fresh thyme sprigs into the chicken cavity. Place chicken breast-side up on top of the vegetables in the skillet. 

step 5

Drizzle olive oil all over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle garlic powder and italian seasoning evenly over chicken.

step 6

Roast chicken in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on the size). Chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. 

step 7

Let chicken rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving and serving. Enjoy chicken with the roasted vegetables from the skillet.