Rotisserie Chicken for Several Meals

Check your local grocery stores to find when their rotisserie chickens are on sale (our local Harris Teeter discounts them every Sunday). My husband and I get three filling meals from one chicken. Sometimes his mom joins us and there's enough to share.

First Meal: We split the breast, add a baked potato and a can of green beans and have a filling, nutritious meal.

Second Meal: I put the remaining chicken (the whole carcass) in a large pot and cover it with water - adding a sprig of rosemary (optional). Cook it until the meat practically falls off the bone. Save the broth. Cut up the remaining pieces and use them to make a simple, yet delicious chicken pie.

Chicken Pie Recipe: Put the cut-up chicken in a 9x13 inch casserole dish. (Reserve a half to one cup of the smallest bits of chicken to use for the third meal.) Drain a can of mixed vegetables and pour it over the chicken. In a saucepan, mix 2 cups of the chicken broth and 1 can undiluted cream of celery soup and bring to a boil. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and chicken. Mix 1 stick of melted margarine or butter, 1 cup buttermilk or sweet milk, 1 cup of self-rising flour, and one-half teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl. Spoon the dough mixture over top of casserole. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is done.

Third Meal: Put the remainder of the broth and the small chicken bits left from meal two into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cut up carrots, celery, onions, peas, or whatever vegetables you have on hand. I put the carrots in first since they take a little longer to get tender. Add uncooked white rice, season with whatever spices you like (a little salt, pepper, thyme, etc.) and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

The amount of rice you add depends on how thick you want the "soup" to be. My family likes it to be thicker than a true soup, so I use a cup of raw rice to 2 cups of the broth mixture. You now have three deliciously different meals with little effort or expense. Both the chicken pie and the chicken and rice can be cooked and frozen to be brought out later.

By Sandy B. from Elon, NC