You need a huge roasting pan, probably the one you only pull out at Thanksgiving. I like to serve this right out of the pan.

Serves 6.

2 whole roaster chickens about 5-6 pounds each, giblets and neck removed
¼ cup olive oil
12 shallots, peeled (or 3 Spanish onions, quartered)
6-8 carrots, peeled, if desired, and cut into chunks
2 Idaho potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks
3 ripe pears or apples (any kind will do), peeled, if desired, and diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon kosher salt

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Rinse the chickens in several changes of cold water and pat dry.

3. Place the oil, shallots, carrots, potatoes, pears or apples, and butternut squash in a large mixing bowl and toss well.

4. Place the sage and salt in a small mixing bowl and mix to combine. Rub half into the chicken flesh, skin, and cavity and sprinkle the other half on the vegetables.

5. Place the chicken on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan and surround it with the vegetables. Transfer to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees or the juices run clear from the breast and the leg moves easily, about 1 hour (about 10 minutes per pound). Serve immediately.

Note: If you want to use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts instead of whole chickens, place the chicken and vegetables together in the roasting pan and cook for 45 minutes instead of an hour.

From The $50 Dinner Party: 26 Dinner Parties That Won’t Break Your Bank, Your Back, or Your Schedule (Simon & Schuster, 1998)