You Magazine columnist Eleanor Maidment has published a low-effort roasting tin chicken recipe intended for busy households, saying it serves four and costs about £1.49 per person. The piece, part of the paper’s “The Canny Cook” column, was published and updated at 08:01 BST on Sept. 6, 2025.
Maidment framed the recipe as a practical solution for the back-to-school period and for those juggling work, family and study. She wrote that she is returning to higher education this month to begin a part-time degree in nutritional therapy nearly two decades after her first graduation, and expects to rely on simple, memorised recipes as she balances new commitments.
The recipe’s method is intentionally straightforward: ingredients are combined in a roasting tin and cooked in the oven with minimal hands-on time. Maidment highlighted the use of sliced lemons, which she said caramelise during roasting and contribute bittersweet, rich citrus notes that a simple squeeze of juice cannot replicate. The column positions the dish as a store-cupboard-friendly, low-effort option that cooks reliably when time is limited.
Maidment did not provide a full ingredient list or step-by-step timings in the column summary distributed with the piece, but the column’s emphasis is on accessibility and cost-efficiency. The published cost estimate of £1.49 per serving places the dish within a broader trend of budget-conscious recipes promoted in national outlets as households manage grocery bills alongside seasonal schedule changes.
The piece appears in a context of renewed attention to easy traybakes and one-pan meals, formats that food writers and broadcasters often recommend for convenience and minimal cleanup. Maidment’s disclosure of her return to study frames the recipe as part of a personal routine adjustment rather than a purely culinary experiment.
You Magazine is published by the Daily Mail. The column’s publication and update times are shown on the online article, which includes photographs illustrating the finished dish. Readers seeking full measurements and cooking times are directed to the published column for the complete recipe and accompanying notes.