Well Seasoned’s Angie Quaale shares her chicken-roasting commandments (and her recipes for those sweet leftovers).

When you roast a chicken, you’re doing double-duty. First, you’re cooking a dish that has an endless array of seasoning options—making it one of the truly versatile meals to serve for dinner. And then, the next day, you’ve got roast chicken leftovers, which can be cooked in numerous delicious ways that almost makes Day 2 more appetizing than the first go-around.

For barbecue expert Angie Quaale, a good roasted chicken starts before you even buy the bird. “You want to buy a good fresh, preferably local chicken, probably between five and six pounds,” she says. Once the bird has been cleaned, rinsed and patted dry, Quaale likes to seriously season both the inside and outside of the chicken. “What I do is fill the cavity of the chicken with a lemon that cut’s in half, a head of garlic that’s been cut in half and a few sprigs of fresh thyme and fresh rosemary,” she explains.

And then, it’s into the oven: total roasting time should be around 50 minutes to 1 1/2 hours at 425°F. The chicken is done when the thickest part of the thigh checks out at 165°F and if the juices run clear.

“I think think it takes way longer than it does to cook – it doesn’t take a ton of time to cook a whole chicken,” Quaale said.

5 Recipes for That Leftover Roast Chicken

Angie-Quaale-Spicy-Thai-Coconut-Chicken-SoupSpicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

The perfect recipe for the coming cold and rainy fall weather. The rich and tangy flavours of the coconut soup go beautifully with the hearty chicken and mushroom combination.

Angie-Quaale-Pulled-Chicken-BurgerPulled Chicken Burger

BBQ and coleslaw are time-tested pairings but replacing the usual pulled pork with pulled chicken can add completely new layers to your makeshift stay-at-home pub nights. Goes perfectly well with a pint and a game.

Angie-Quaale-Chicken-Pot-Pie-with-Fresh-TarragonChicken Pot Pie with Fresh Tarragon

With a filling packed with chicken carrots, celery and a host of other greens, this pie promises to be a standout potluck dish, or even as a gift.

Angie-Quaale-Spicy-Chicken-StackSpicy Chicken StackA quick and easy-t0-make snack that brings the heat and packs a punch. Serve with your favourite hot sauce.

Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cucumbers

A refreshing take on the usual fall-friendly meals. This cold noodle salad could easily become one of your go to recipes to pack for the office. 

Fine more dinner ideas with the WL Recipe Finder!