Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This meal is just heavenly. It is a perfect Sunday Dinner. Sorry the picture totally stinks, we had company over and so I only took one quick shot.Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

From: Kraft Foods

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, divided
1 tsp. black pepper, divided
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 1/2+ lbs.
6 + Tbs. zesty Italian dressing
2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
2 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, 1 tsp. rosemary and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Starting at the neck of the chicken, use your fingers to carefully separate the skin from the meat of the breast, thighs, legs, etc., trying not to teach the skin. Spoon the cream cheese mixture under the skin, using fingers to push and spread some of the mixture out to the thighs and legs. Place the chicken in a shallow baking pan. Brush with 2 Tbs. of the Italian dressing. (I always use way more. I like to give it a good coating.)

Toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 tsp. rosemary and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a separate 9x13 pan. Bake chicken and potatoes for 1 hour 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees). Stir the potatoes ever 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a large serving dish, reserving the juicing in the pan. Let the chicken stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add bacon and onions to the potatoes, mix lightly. Spoon the potatoes around the chicken on the serving dish. Spoon off fat from the reserved juices. Serve chicken and potatoes with reserved juices.