Delicious! Grandma's Simple Roast Chicken

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 1 hour
1 (4-5 lb) roasting chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 onion, trimmed and quartered
1 celery stalk, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 carrot, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400*
2. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry. Trim fat from chicken.
3. Combine salt, pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning mixture over breast, drumsticks, and into the body cavity. Place onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf in body cavity. Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken.
4. Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone.
5. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 180°. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin, vegetables, and bay leaf.
Yield 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces of chicken)
From Complete Cooking Light Cookbook