The easiest, most delicious, and probably least expensive way to feed your family is to throw a chicken in the oven. But how to roast a chicken? Although there are a hundred variations on how to bake a chicken, the essentials are pretty simple and remarkably foolproof. We'll talk about some of those variations later, but let's start with the easiest way to go about how to roast a chicken.

Just a regular 2-3 lb. chicken will do... and probably won't set you back more than $4 or so, though you will likely taste a difference in you spend more and get an organic or free-range chicken. Look for one that hasn't been frozen for more flavor. Unless you like the giblets (liver, heart, gizzards), try to buy one without them. (When they come with giblets, they're wrapped in waxed paper and inserted in the breast cavity.). Giblets can be used to prepare soups, stock, or gravy later... fried chicken livers are a southern delicacy or livers can be used to make a pate, but we're trying to keep things simple so we're just going to assume you don't have them.