No... it really is the easiest thing.

I like to make roasted chicken when we have people over.  For one, it's hugely impressive, especially to people in their 30s.  I'm not sure why no one seems to do it anymore, because whenever I make it, people get really excited.  Secondly, no rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is half as good. and third, it's one of the few things you can just "set and forget".  Throw together a salad and some mashed potatoes or rice, or noodles and you have a fantastic meal for little effort.

It really, and honestly, is the easiest thing to do. 

The hardest part is remembering to put it in long enough before dinner.

Ok, I understand, people work, and making a chicken after you get home is sometimes tough, especially if you, like me, like to eat at 5:00 on the button.  That said, make it on the weekend.  Not only will you have a great meal, but you'll have leftovers for those quick chicken quesadillas on Tuesday.

First, buy a chicken and put it into something that can go in the oven.  Pyrex, a roaster, you could do it on a cookie sheet for all it matters (as long as it has a rim so the juices don't spill all over your oven...  then cleaning the oven makes this recipe less easy). 

Add stuff to give it flavour.  Basically, with chicken almost anything goes.  The usual for us is onions and seasoning salt, but this time I did't have any normal onions, so I went with some green onions that were wilting in the fridge and some apples.  Don't bother to peel/core/dice anything unless you want to eat it afterwards, if you're just adding flavour it doesn't matter.  I've also used chipotle peppers, pineapple, lemon juice, any variety of spices that floated my boat that day.

If you're squeamish about touching raw meat (I'm not thrilled about it myself), you don't have to put anything inside THE DREADED CAVITY (insert ominous music)  just chop it and stick it beside or under the chicken.  Chicken does cook more quickly with nothing in it, so if you're in a rush, leave it empty.

Most books will tell you to cook your 3-3 1/2lb bird at 375º for an hour and a half to two hours.  I personally do it at 350º on convection bake.  I find it ends up juicier and gives the outside a nice crispiness. 

After about an hour and a half of "slaving away at a hot stove" (read: giving myself a mani-pedi while watching tv), I start to check it.  Stick the point of a knife between the breast and the drumstick...

...and if the juices inside are clear (not murky, or pink... think chicken broth), you're done.  If not, back in the oven for a few.  I'm sure there's some sort of temperature reading you can do, but if you don't do it properly in the right spot, it won't be acurate anyway.  I have yet to find the right spot on these tiny little chickens.

Once the chicken is done, if you have time, let it rest for about 15 minutes.  This gives you time to make the salad, and lets the juices re-distribute (giving you a juicier chicken).  It's more important with turkey in my opinion, but if you can do it, all the better.