I have purchased chicken at the deli, it is usually a whole one roasted on the spit. Our first meal is to eat the roasted meat. Then I cut the meat from the bone, and use it in two other meals: one is a chicken pot pie and another is a stir fry. I feel that I get my money's worth and there is nothing, but bone left to go into the garbage.
By Denise from Tuscola, IL
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Don't throw out the bones or skin! I always use them to make additional stock for soup or the cream sauce for the leftover chicken.
The leftovers are great for pasta salads and chicken salad sandwiches too. I am with EGGS about not throwing out those bones and skin! You can break the bones down and place them with the skin in a freezer bag and freeze to use for future soup stock!
When we get a roasted chicken, we eat fresh from the chicken 1st night then I pick it clean and after I freeze the bones for stock. I shred it some for sandwiches. Then after a couple of days, I use the balance to make a chicken dish or I freeze it. Nary a bit goes to waste, and when I pick it clean I take all the grizzle off the ends of bones, and feed those to my dogs. The leftovers go to make shepherd's pie, enchiladas, chicken soup all kinds, or to add to chicken helper.
I totally agree. We have a couple of meals from the freshly cooked bird, roasted bird, hash, sandwiches, and then I take it one step further. Extra meat is frozen for quick sandwiches or hash, and the big chunks are removed from the bones, leaving only tiny tidbits. The bones are then immediately frozen. I take them out to boil and simmer for about 2 hours. This is then used to make a chowder, soup or broth. Corn chowder, fish chowder, even hodge podge taste fantastic using the chicken broth.
When making biscuits for with soup, I add broth and powdered milk rather than milk in the recipe. Broth is fantastic to use instead of water when cooking rice too. It really adds to the flavour. After the broth is made, what I cannot use is then frozen in ice cubes for either a quick addition to a recipe or for our pets to lick on a hot day. So much can come from one little roasted bird.
You are so right about the three meals, and while you are at it, put the bones, skin and accumulated juices in pan, add water and boil to make a tasty chicken broth.
I usually buy two roasted chickens when I go to Costco. We eat part of one for dinner and then I remove all the extra meat and throw everything else in the stock pot. I freeze the meat in meal sized portions and use it for soups, casseroles, stir fries, pasta dishes, etc.
I have roasted my own chickens but the cost is about the same so why not do it the easy way? My only issue is getting my guys not to eat too much of the meat that first night (which is why I get two!)
Here is one of my favorite soup recipes. You can grill extra veggies the next time you fire up the grill too.
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I agree with you all about many meals from 1 Chicken. I, however, don't have much room in my freezer. I simply can the stock then I don't have to store the bones. Then when I need it, it's so easy to pop a jar open, use as much, or little, as I need and I'm stress free.
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