Roasting one chicken to gain 5 meals! This makes it an easy and economical choice to cook.
With the cost of groceries skyrocketing, now is the time to stretch your budget and still feed your family healthy meals on a budget.
Have you ever given thought as to how many meals you can actually make from a whole roaster chicken? There was a period when I would cook a chicken, cut the breasts off the bone and then toss the rest out. Yes, it seems a waste, but on the other hand a whole chicken is still cheaper than buying breast meat.
One Chicken, Five Meals
What says Sunday comfort more than the smell of a chicken roasting away in the oven? Maybe the fluffy pillowy mashed potatoes and skillet green beans to go with it! My garlicky, lemon chicken is incredibly flavorful, has a crispy golden crust and succulent tender breast meat! And by roasting one chicken, 5 meals is what you end up with!
The Method:
Rinse and dry a whole roaster. Season the inside with kosher salt and pepper. Add 1/4 of a lemon, 1/4 of an onion and 1/2 a head of garlic. Tie up the legs and tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
Cut 2 onions, 2 lemons and 2 heads of garlic in half and put them in the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Place the chicken on top. Using your hands gently separate the skin from each breast and rub a tablespoon of butter between the skin and the meat. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top and aggressively season with kosher salt and pepper.
Pour 1 cup of chicken stock, or water in the bottom of the skillet. Roast in a 350 degree pre-heated oven 20-25 minutes per pond or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Let the cooked chicken rest 15-20 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile strain pan juices into a sauce pan, add a little sherry, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, add a tablespoon or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water and thicken. Now you have a delicious gravy.
One Chicken, Five Meals Preparation
Slice off each breast. One will be used for your first dinner.
Dice up the other breast into 1/2 inch pieces. Package up to save for later.
Remove the thighs, legs and wings and shred the meat. Package up to save for later.
Immediately take the carcass and put into a stock pot. Add carrots, celery, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, and kosher salt. Cover with water to an inch or two above the bones. Let simmer for a couple of hours. Strain and store stock. You should end up with about 6 cups.
One Chicken, Five Meals
As I said, your first meal will be with the first chicken breast. Adding filling sides like mashed potatoes and green beans, dinner rolls and a salad will help stretch this meal.
Using the stock I have 2 more meals: my Super Creamy Pumpkin Pasta and my Mexican Soup (recipe below). I like to make Cheese Quesadilla’s and a simple tossed salad to accompany the soup and make it a complete meal.
My fourth meal is my Easy Peasy Chicken Enchilada’s replacing the ground chicken with the leg, thigh and wing shredded meat.
My last meal is a date night dinner for two. Whether it is you and your sweetie, a special dinner for you and one of your kids or your bff this easy Chicken Pot Pie for 2 is just the ticket.
Cook’s Notes:
Prefer dark meat? Carve the leg and thigh for your main meal the first night. Use the breast for my BBQ Chicken Bake.
Alternative sides for your main dish: maybe a rice pilaf, vegetable gratin, or let it cool and make a cobb salad!
The Essentials
Mexican Soup
This soup is so vibrant and full of flavor!
- saute pan
- wooden spoon
- soup pot
- ladle
- soup bowls
- 1 onion, diced small
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomato
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained NOT rinsed
- 1 8.75 ounce can corn, drained
- 2 tbsp oil, avocado or vegetable
Add oil to saute pan over medium high heat. Cook onion and red pepper until softened about 5 minutes. Add garlic, season with all seasonings and cook another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile open your cans and drain beans and corn.
Add stock, water, crushed tomatoes, beans, corn and vegetable mixture to soup pot. Simmer for 45 minutes.
I like to serve this with cheese quesadilla’s to dunk into the soup and to make it more of a meal.
Hillary, Your Mexican soup was delicious. A real keeper!!! I saved a little for lunch the next day because I knew I would be thinking about it and wish I had more. I loved the red peppers, corn and black bean combination and the spices were perfect.