Organic Holiday Chicken & Hasselback Butternut Squash

Step aside turkey, chicken is the star of the holidays this year. This stunning preparation of Greensbury's organic free-range whole chicken will impress your guests but won't take all your time in the kitchen. A simple herb seasoned chicken is spatchcocked for quick and even cooking and is places alongside a showstopping hasselback butternut squash topped with sage butter. Pops of festive color shine through with honey roasted beets and onions. The perfect holiday feast!

Ingredients

• 1 Greensbury Organic Free-Range Whole Chicken
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
• 2-3 beets (depending on size), peeled
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 Tbsp fresh or dried thyme
• 6-8 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup honey roasted pecans
• 8 Tbsp butter
• Olive oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Remove outer skin from squash using a vegetable peeler.
3. Using a VERY sharp, large knife (we recommend Zelite's Executive Plus Series Celebrity 8" Chef knife), cut squash down middle lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
4. To "hasselback" the squash, place one wooden spoon on each side of squash half. Using a sharp knife, slice rounded surface crosswise into thin slices, stopping each cut at the spoon handles so that the very bottom of the squash stays intact.
5. Place squash flat side down on outside edges of large baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
6. To prepare chicken:
1. Pat thawed chicken dry and place on large cutting board with breast side down.
2. To "spatchcock" chicken, use a very sharp knife to cut through chicken along each side of backbone until backbone is removed. Flip chicken over and press down on breastbone until there is a crack and chicken is flattened.
3. Place chicken in center of baking sheet with squash. Tuck wings behind the breasts and arrange legs so that chicken lays evenly.
4. Coat chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and thyme.
7. Slice beets into 1/8" slices. Arrange beets and onion wedges around chicken and squash. Drizzle beets and onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Place sheet pan in oven and cook for 30 minutes.
9. While dish is cooking, melt butter over low heat in small saute pan. Remove pan from heat and add sage leaves.
10. After 30 minutes, remove sheet pan from oven. Pour 3/4 of sage butter over squash and in between slices. Drizzle beets and onion with honey. Return to oven and cook for another 30 minutes.
11. Use an instant-read thermometer to check breast internal temperature as the 30 minutes gets close. Remove sheet pan when breast temperature reaches 160º, squash is fork tender and beets and onions have caramelized. Drizzle remaining 1/4 sage butter over squash.
12. Remove chicken, squash and vegetables from sheet pan. Place chicken on a large, stable cutting board.
13. Using a sharp carving knife set (we recommend Zelite Infinity's Alpha-Royal Japanese Series 10″ Carving Set), cut legs and wings off chicken, and cut breast and thigh meat off the bone. Slice breast and thigh meat crosswise into slices.
14. Arrange cut chicken, squash halves, beet slices and onion wedges on large service dish. Squeeze lemon over beets and onions, garnish squash with pecans and crispy sage leaves and serve warm.

Enjoy!