Apple & Bacon Roast Chicken

   My mind is so blank right now....I can't seem to think of how to start this post. I can hear my daughters voices in my head though when they make me sit down to watch one of their "shows", so, I'm gonna go with their opening speech formula: ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the apple & bacon roast chicken show!
   Seriously, it's all I've got right now. Please be gracious. :)

Apple & Bacon Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3-5lb whole chicken
• 2 slices of bacon
  
• 1 apple (any kind), quartered
• 1 Onion, quartered
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper
  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rinse the chicken in cold water, and pat down with paper towel (this helps the skin get nice and brown). 
3. Cut each slice of bacon into 2 shorter pieces.
   
4. Gently pull skin up on the breasts, and prick breasts with a fork. Season with pepper. Then slide 2 half pieces of bacon onto each breast (I also tried adding some extra sliced apple under the skin with the bacon, and although it added to the meats sweetness, it kept the bacon from getting as crispy as I usually get it. So, do it however you wanna, I'm just letting you know). :) 
5. Pull the skin back over the breasts and the bacon (hold skin back together with toothpicks if needed). 
6. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the quartered apple and onion, putting anything that won't fit into the roasting pan or baking dish you plan on using.
7. Shake paprika onto the chicken, rubbing it into the skin gently with your hand. Season generously with salt, and more pepper.
   
8. Place into a roasting pan or baking dish, and place into oven.
9. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for an additional 60 minutes (for a 3 lb chicken. Add 20 minutes extra cooking time per pound of chicken). If the chicken is getting to dark before it's finished cooking, simply tent with foil.
10. Once finished cooking, juices from a pricked thigh will run clear. Remove from oven, and tent some foil over the chicken and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

You can see here I put the apples under the skin. It was still tasty, but I preferred when I made it with all the apple in the cavity, and only bacon under the skin.

   This really is a simple roast chicken to put together, and it comes out so tasty and juicy. 

   Back when I posted my lemon & rosemary roast chicken, I meant to ask what kind of roast chicken anyone in the great big www liked? Share your ideas if you have any!