I like mashed potato because it soaks up any sauce. Or, roast a mixture of root veg with a drizzle of olive oil and tomato paste. (potato, turnip, carrot, onion, parsnip, celery, etc)
One of my most favorite meals is a roast chicken (any variety), with Patricia Wells' potatoes sauteed with walnut oil and garlic, and a simple salad with a tart vinaigrette. No oven usage. You don't add the garlic and herbs until the last second - I chop the garlic very fine so the heat from the spuds 'cooks' it enough to take the edge off. You can use less than the specified 4 cloves too, if that amount is scary for you. (I've done them just with olive oil when I didn't have walnut oil, and it works well - but if you have walnut oil, use it.) The recipe is in her Bistro cookbook, but I found it online: http://www.food.com/recipe/bistro-potatoes-sauteed-with-garlic-walnut-oil-372006
Can you cook your veggies in the same baking dish as the chicken when you roast in the oven. If you need 35 to 50 minutes at 400+ degrees, you can roast baby potatoes, brussels sprouts, and cut up roots in the pan. Maybe use a larger roasting pan/baking dish/saute pan that can go in the oven?
Another idea: Cut a 1 lb. bag of carrots into 1 1/2 " chunks and place in a saute pan, Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Throw in about a half stick of butter, and maybe 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar, or regular sugar. Salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat with the cover on the pan. Check periodically. The object is to have a carrot that is firm but not mushy, covered with a fabulous reduced glaze. About 20 minutes cooking time. Serve with parsley sprinkled on the carrots.
Hmmm...let's see. I'd stick with rice then as one. Saute a little minced shallot in some olive oil and butter, add stock (chicken/veggie) instead of water, a bay leaf, some thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until rice is done. Meanwhile, toast some pine nuts in a dry pan (make sure they don't burn!). When the rice is done, stir in the pine nuts, remove the bay leaf and add a bit of butter. For the other side, I'd steam some green beans. You can add anything to them and they taste good. The olive oil and almond route, the pancetta route. Whatever suits your fancy! Better?
Oh any kind of roasted vegetable (preferably one that you could roast along with the chicken). I'd vote for fingerling pots - drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs of your choice roast for 40 mins at 400 stirring every 10 mins or so. Or brussel sprouts - remove outer leaves, cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, roast for 25 mins or so at 400 (the outer leaves get all delicious and crispy!). If you don't do pots, I'd do a couscous or rice (cooked in broth to add some flavor) or homemade biscuits. If you make the fingerling pots, I'd do a salad as a side - a simple lettuce salad with a nice vinegrette. Good luck!
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