One Whole Chicken = Multiple Meals
What can I do with a whole chicken? A whole chicken can actually look a little intimidating, but I can assure you that you are capable of making multiple meals out of it! Despite growing up on a farm, we didn’t raise our own chickens growing up. Most of the time, we bought chicken from the store, and it was cut up. Once my wife and I started raising are own, we had to start learning how to make a whole chicken while utilizing every little bit. Using a whole chicken to make multiple meals can save you from spending extra time in the kitchen and money. You can cook a whole chicken and stretch it out 3-5 meals, but that doesn’t mean you have to have chicken every day that week! Thank the good Lord for freezers!
How to cook your Whole Chicken
Meal#1
Options:
Roasted Chicken
Crockpot Chicken
We have cooked our whole chicken one of two ways. I bet there are multiple other ways out there, but this is what we have done. We either place the chicken in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours, or we will roast the chicken in the oven. (Place the breast of the chicken down, this keeps the moisture in the breast!) Serve with any sides you prefer. I love it with mashed potatoes and corn.
Meal #2
Options:
Chicken quesadillas
Chicken BBQ Sandwich
Chicken and rice bowls
Chicken pot pie
Chicken wild rice hot-dish
Don’t think you are limited to this short list! Separate the bones from the meat, and place the leftover chicken from meal #1 in any kind of dish that you love. Keep the bones, these will aid you in making meal #2. If you have extra meat, store it in the freezer for later.
Meal #3
Options:
Chicken noodle soup
White Chicken Chili (My new favorite)
Chicken wild rice soup
With your own bone broth, and the last pieces of meat from the chicken, you can make soup. There are many benefits from making your own bone broth, and it isn’t very complicated. Plus, by making it yourself, you can make the broth just the way you prefer. After I debone the chicken, pour enough water to cover the bones and place in a slow cooker on low with a few scrapes of vegetables for about 24 hours. If you won’t be able to get to it in 24 hours, it’s not a big deal. Separate your broth from the bones when time permits.
If you have plenty of left over stock, just place it in your freezer for later. Don’t make the mistake I made. Do not use mason jars. If you use mason jars, the combination of hot water meeting the surface of a cold mason jar will break the glass! I’m not by any means a broth expert, but there are some great options online with more details.
Now you know how to make the most out of your locally purchased whole chicken! One whole chicken can cover multiple meals in a week plus you can start making your own homemade broth just the way you like it. Before you know it, your friends and neighbors will want to know your secret recipe!
