• Preheat oven to 200°c fan bake.
• Peel and dice the potatoes, carrot and pumpkin into similar sized chunks. Cut the mushrooms into ¼'s. Place them all with the garlic into a large roasting dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Rub the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper. You can cook in the slow cooker then finish in the oven to crisp, or just in the oven. Follow the instructions for each option below.

Chicken: Slow cook and finish in oven:

• I slow cook ours 6 hours on high from frozen - if it’s thawed slow cook for 6-8 hours on low. These time may depend on your individual slow cooker and the size of your chicken. We have a special little rack in our cooker so the chicken doesn’t boil in the liquid at the bottom and steams instead. I don’t add any water. Just the seasoned chicken.
• Once the chicken is cooked through I take it out to rest, save the cooking water for your gravy! Turn the oven up to high (220°c). Then place the chicken on a tray and into the oven to crisp it up for about 10-15 minutes, or until it’s browned all over. Save any juice that drips out for your gravy.
• Once browned, take the chicken out to rest for 15 minutes.

Chicken: Oven bake:

• Place your chicken on a roasting tray, and place into the middle of the oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes for a size 18 chicken. (Add an extra 20 minutes per 500 grams if your chicken is bigger). To check the chicken is cooked, poke a squewer into the thigh, the juices should run clear.

The vegetables

• Allow one hour for your roast veggies and gravy to be ready for the table. If oven baking the chicken, after the chicken has been in the oven for 1 hour, place prepped veggies in the rack below the chicken to roast for 30 minutes. Or, if your chicken is cooking elsewhere, place in the oven in the middle.
• After 30 minutes, take the vegetables out, scrape them with a spatula and toss them around. If you give them a good shove around and break them up a little, you will get yummy little roast crispy bits. Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes then check and toss again. Remove them when everything is cooked through, browned and crisp around the edges. This could take anywhere from 45 mins to 1 hour all up, depending on your oven.
• While the vegetables are cooking, cut the broccoli and cauli into florets, and set aside. Either steam or boil them in water until they are just tender. (Usually about 4-minutes once the water is rolling) when I boil them I never cover with water, only fill the pot up 1/4 and cook with the lid on.
• Take your veggies out of the oven and place into an oven proof serving dish. Put the dish back into the oven to keep warm while the chicken browns.
• Pour all the chicken cooking juices into the tray that the roast veggies were in and set on your elements on the stovetop (usually I need to turn on two elements). You want about 1.5 cups liquid, if the chicken cooking juices aren’t enough, add some cooking water from the broccoli to top it up. Let the liquid come to a boil. Squeeze out a roast garlic clove from its skin into the gravy. Add salt a pinch at a time, and taste after each addition until it’s the salty ness you like. Mix 1 Tablespoon of cornflour, tapioca or gluten free flour with 1 Tablespoon water, then add to the gravy. Mix well (you may need a whisk) and it will start to thicken as it continues to bubble. Once thickened, pour into a gravy boat to serve.
• Your broccoli and cauliflower, should be done now and your chicken and veggies warm in the oven. Serve all together while hot!
• Use the leftover chicken, gravy and vegetables in a chicken and veggie soup. Don’t forget to use the whole bird and make a broth with the bones.