How to Stretch a Chicken to Make Six Meals
ByWhen I mentioned that I can stretch a chicken to last us six meals, many of you thought I was kidding. I can’t believe you thought I was kidding. I’m always so serious about everything I say around here. Just kidding. About being serious. I’m not kidding about the chicken though.
(eh?)
There are six of us in our family and we all enjoy our food. That’s my polite way of saying, “Good grief, my boys can put away a lot of groceries in a short amount of time and then come back in an hour asking for more.” That said, if I roast a nice chicken for dinner and serve it as the main dish, there won’t be much left of said chicken at the end of the meal. Just enough to pull a few scraps of meat together for a small casserole, then the bones are used to make broth. So, worst case chicken scenario at my house: One Chicken, Two and a Half Meals.
But if I cook a chicken to make broth, and then use the meat from the chicken to make several different meals…now that is the best way to get the most out of a chicken! It’s cost effective, it saves loads of time and it’s easy.
The chickens I buy are from a farm nearby and they are big (between 4-6 pounds) and nice and meaty. I pay good money for them (around $15), which sounds like a lot…but if I get SIX meals from one bird? That’s only $2.50 worth of excellent protein per meal (42¢ per serving)…for my family of six!
Okay, so let’s say I cook a chicken all day to make broth and to have cooked chicken meat ready for meals. This has got to be one of the easiest things to do ever when it comes to cooking nutrient rich and inexpensive meals for your family, by the way. To stretch the chicken to last our family six meals, here is an example of what I might do over the course of a week or week and a half (freezing the broth and/or chicken after a few days to pull out as needed):
1. Use one batch of broth and a little bit of chicken to make Chicken Tortilla Soup. Because I’m using the rich broth, I don’t feel the need to use much chicken (if any) in this soup.
2. Use the other batch of broth to make Chicken Noodle Soup. Again, I would use very little chicken to make this as there is so much goodness in the broth. And if you recall, sometimes I forget the chicken altogether, much like I forget to put the bananas in my banana bread. You’ve got to love my “duh” moments.
3. Next, I’d throw some chicken in Homemade Alfredo Sauce with pasta. I just use about 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken for this as the sauce and noodles make up the bulk of the meal. (Add steamed veggies and a salad and you’re good to go!)
4. For a tasty lunch later in the week I’d make Black Bean Taco Salad. Because there are black beans and cheese in this salad, it doesn’t require a lot of chicken to complete the meal. Yum – this salad is so good!!
5. Not out of chicken yet, I can now make Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta. Again, the pasta and cheese and milk are so filling, not a lot of chicken is needed. Plus, the cheese helps add protein to this meal.
6. Last, I’d use whatever chicken is left to make Chicken Veggie Quesadillas. With all the veggies to fill these quesadillas, the small bits of chicken add just a little bit of protein to complete the meal!
Now, I feel very strongly that our family needs good, healthy protein at each meal, so I’m not usually parked in the “skimp on meat” camp. We eat lots of eggs and nuts and beef and other meat. But getting a lot of goodness out of one chicken is a great way to cut down on time in the kitchen and save money too!
The moral of the chicken stretching story is: If you don’t use the chicken as the main part of the meal, but just as a supplementary part…you too can stretch a chicken for all it’s worth.
What is your favorite way to stretch a chicken? As in…what are your favorite meals to eat with leftover, cooked chicken?
Disclaimer: No chickens were actually stretched during the writing of this post.
We love chicken tetrazini…
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Last time I cooked a whole chicken I made chicken fried rice for one meal. The second meal I made is sort of a veggie-pasta-chicken mixture.
Put olive oil in a pan with some minced garlic let that cook, add veggies, and assorted spices put the lid on and let them steam, then add some Parmesan cheese. I have made this twice and both times the veggies come out really dark, almost burnt color but they taste so good. I have only made it with frozen veggies so I don’t know if it will taste different with fresh.
Thanks Laura for all you do!
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Jessica Reply:
January 23rd, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Forgot the pasta-chicken part-
I sliced up some chicken and threw in the veggies and then served it over
some left over pasta.
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Broth
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken & Bean Burritos
Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas (Now I want to try yours, Laura)
Chicken Chili
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
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PS I always put plenty of garlic and crushed red pepper in our chicken soup to keep us healthy or for when we’re sick. and sometimes for a different twist, I add coconut milk, too.
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You can take your first batch of broth and your second not quite as yummy batch of broth and mix them and it makes one really yummy batch. The first batch, in my opinion, does not suffer from the second batch being thrown in with it. :-)
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You can use left over chicken for asian chicken fried rice, chicken won tons, cheesy chicken casserol (made with cream of chicken soup) or sweet chicken macaroni salad (my favorite)! The Macaroni salad has small macaroni shells, shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and mayo. Super sweet and yummy!
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Tara Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 6:16 am
Can you please share your recipe for the macaroni salad? That sounds soooo good!!! td08 at live.com THANK YOU!!
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I often use leftover chicken to make homemade pizza. Yum!
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I think it is also important to remember how much more flavorful a natural pastured chicken is than a run of the mill store bought chicken. My family has raised and butchered two batches(about 20 birds each time), but are currently out and buying blah chicken from the store. We crave the yummy flavor of our own chickens so much! They truly taste more chicken-y, and can therefore stretch to flavor a lot more meals.
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Hi Laura,
I was just wondering how big the chicken was that you used for all of these meals.
Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 7:48 am
My chickens are usually between 4-6 pounds I think.
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Julie Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Thank you! :)
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One Chicken: Cook in my crockpot and slice up for dinner for 5. Rest of the chicken goes into chicken soup (lunch for 3) (dinner for 4). Chicken pot pie (dinner for 3) and sometimes have a little leftover chicken noodle soup or chicken pot pie for a few to have lunch another day. The broth from the bones usually is enough for all the above, plus for rice one day. Then it is time for another chicken.
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Thanks–I’ve got a crazy week ahead of me and this helps out my meal planning quite a bit.
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Our favorite: chicken pie! Thicken chicken broth and add cut-up veggies. Simmer for a little while then add chicken pieces. Pour into 9×13″ pan, and let cool slightly. Roll out a pie crust and place on top. Cut slits on top and bake until crust is golden brown. This is also a great way to use leftover veggies like carrots, peas, corn, and potatoes!
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Marsha_M Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Love to do this too! I made two 9×13 last time and used very little chickend after all the carrots and potatoes! For the crust I used the yogurt dough Laura has here as pizza crust and it was very good.
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How many pounds is the chicken? I’ve tried to stretch a chicken, but the most I’ve gotten is 3 meals, and we’ve only got 3 in our family. Maybe I’m not stretching enough or maybe my chicken is too small?
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Laura Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 7:50 am
My chickens are generally between 4-6 pounds I think.
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chicken and noodle casserole (for all those tuna fish haters) or chicken and spaetzle soup or chicken and dumplings or jambalaya or tacos
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Does the broth count as protein? Thanks for this post. I have been trying to decide if I can justify paying for an organic chicken. With this in mind, I can! :0)
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Laura Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Yes, though not as much as the actual meat itself. I don’t mind using it alone without meat occasionally as the broth I make is so full of nutrients.
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mmm…reading all the comments mades me hungry — and want to re-think my menu plan for the week!
i like chicken noodle soup, or chicken and dumplings (though my family doesn’t so much). i also like chicken pot pie.
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I just cooked a 16 pound turkey from our CSA farm. I wonder how many meals you’d get out of that one!
I plan 4 meals out of our chickens (we have two adult eaters and two small people eaters). We usually have roast chicken as one meal though and that uses a lot.
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What would i need to do to soak the lemon cake mixture? Do i mix all the ingredients together or only a few?
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Don’t forget about cooking chicken carcasses after roasting. The best broth (we always make big batches of soup to eat and can) is made from boiling the carcass of a roasted chicken or turkey. Put all the bones, ligaments, etc (basically *everything* that is left over after pulling the meat off) into a big pot, fill the pot with water, put on to boil. When it boils, turn heat down to just above simmering, and let it cook for a couple of days. keep filling the pot up to the top with water as it cooks off.
There is no better broth (trust me on this), and it makes *bunches*!
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JoAnna Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Martha,
When do you know the broth is done? And do you literally let it cook through the night?
I would LOVE to try this but need more detailed directions, please!!!
Thank you!!
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Wow, a couple of days? That seems like a long time. I don’t know though because I’m not a broth-maker.
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Courtney Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 10:29 am
I’ve found that the easiest and tastiest way to make broth is in the crockpot. Just put in the bones and whatever else is left of your chicken, cover with water, add a quartered onion and some salt and pepper and cook on low overnight. The crockpot method makes much richer broth than when I’ve cooked it on the stove.
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Hezzie Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 11:00 am
I also keep all my celery and carrot tops in the freezer and drop them in with the onion, just for a little extra flavor. I simmer/crock my stock for at least 12-24 hours. The longer the better. If it doens’t ‘gel’ the next day in the fridge, it wasn’t long enough!
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Erin Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
I use the crockpot too. Mine can be set to cook for 12 hours, I do it for two cycles of 12 hours.
Kim Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 6:24 am
I’ve read somewhere that you can add a splash of vinegar to the broth & while it’s cooking, will pull out all those healthy nutrients from the marrow of the bones. I personally cook my broth in the crockpot overnight & have had it turn out wonderfully!
Love to use my rice cooker with leftover chicken…..especially when we’ve got appointments or errands that have to be done in the morning. Add rice and water (or broth if I have it) and toss in a little chicken. Set delay timer so it turns on in time for lunch. Ready when we get home. This meal can go a lot of different ways. Sometimes I throw in a few handfulls of raw veggies before I start it. Sometimes a little terriayaki sauce or soy sauce. Sometimes we stir in cheese or leftover veggies before serving. Or use other leftover meat besides chicken.
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What type of containers do you use to freeze your chicken broth?
And one of our favorites is white bean chicken chili. I can also stretch a little chicken a long way with some broth in Chicken and Dumplings. :D yummy!
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Laura Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
I freeze it in a half gallon jar, leaving room at the top for the broth to expand as it freezes.
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I’m hungry again after reading your post and I just finished breakfast!
I like the dark meat reheated in fat/oil with some onion/garlic for a lettuce wrap (for lunch); any shredded chicken cooked with veggies and rice (or noodles) with a white sauce made right in the skillet; this week I’m trying chicken chickpea soup; and I forgot how much we like tortilla soup (thanks for reminding me!).
I need to go look at your black bean salad recipe :).
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Don’t forget hot chicken sandwiches! Leftover chicken in gravy over homemade bread. Add a veggie and you’ve got a very filling meal.
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We bought some free range chicken legs and wings once and they were very tough. It was more like game meat which I get since they are roaming so the meat will be tougher. Do you have this issue when you roast the meat? Does the meat taste a bit different than what you would get at the store? I am sure if it is supposed to taste different than the store bought stuff we could get used to it but we would like to know it is supposed to be tougher and taste a little different:) Thanks for this great post, I can’t wait to give it a try!!!
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Erin Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
You could do a few things here. Ask the farmer which breed of bird he uses, we had 4 ameraucana roosters that we slaughtered after raising from 4 weeks old. They turned out really tough too. I thought they were good meat birds, but after trying to eat the first, looked into it again and found they are not dual purpose. Also, you can ask if they are kept in a tractor (a movable pen used to let birds get their greens/bugs fill, but not running lose). Lastly, ask the age of slaughter, younger birds, no more than 16 weeks, are the best as roasters. Older are better for soups and stews.
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Jeannie Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
We have ameraucana roos too. We SLOW simmer them till they are done, and the meat falls off the bone, They are free range too!
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Andrea Q Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Free range/farm meat will not taste like supermarket meat, but should not be as tough as wild game.
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Andrea Q Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Oh, and cooked properly, most wild game is not tough either.
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I’m happy to get 3 meals. It’s too stressful to try and stretch it to 6!! (chicken dinner, soup/broth, and leftovers)
Love your blog, Laura. I have never learned so much about homemaking. You make it FUN! Thanks!
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I love to “stretch” a chicken with chicken pot pie. Between the vegetables, whole wheat crust (or cheesy biscuit topping!) and thick milky sauce I feel that it is a nutritious meal.
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We usually make chicken enchilada’s. Melt butter and use to fry sliced onions, then add diced green chilies and chicken. Mix in cream cheese and stir until it melts and coats the mix and then scoop into tortilla shells. Put in a baking dish with a little heavy cream and shredded cheese and bake until cheese has melted. YUMMY!!! It doesn’t take much chicken in this dish but it’s really filling.
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Thanks for all the great ideas. I get 3.5# natural chickens from our grocery and they usually give me 2-4 meals. This week I will be cooking one up to use for Chicken Enchilada Casserole, broth, and will have chicken left over to freeze for another meal or two depending on what I decide to make with it.
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If I remember right, you use glass jars to freeze your broth, Laura? And just leave room at the top for it to expand?
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Laura Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
yep!
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I like to use my mom’s recipe for Chicken and Broccoli, I only need to use a cup or so of chicken.
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Thank you so much to the link to your cooking chicken and making broth. I had (for the first time) bought 3 whole chickens, with the intention of deboning them raw. Then I got sick and couldn’t imagine touching all that raw chicken, so I just threw them in the freezer. We’re just a little family of 3, so following your instructions, I set to cooking one today. It turned out awesome! Meat for 6+ meals, and chicken noodle soup for tonight. I’m so excited. Thanks so much…
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When I cook a whole chicken I usually cook it up on a Sunday night for a Sunday dinner, and than Tuesday night is our Mexican night so I make a Chicken, salsa and brown rice casserole. Than usually make broth for Chicken n dumpling soup.
You are right Laura, if I put all the chicken out with our 3 boys, most of it will be gone.
I like your idea of not using as much chicken with some of the meals as the broth is rich and flavorful, and the casseroles I make usually have cheese. Thanks so much for all your ideas and suggestions.
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I LOVE that disclaimer at the end, haha! Those are some great suggestions!
I love to make chicken spinach quiche, which requires about 1 cup (or less) per quiche and makes 6 or so servings. I also love putting chicken on baked potatoes. Just add butter, cheddar cheese, and chives. Mmmmm!
I can’t wait to hear some other suggestions, as I have a few cups of cooked chicken (and a lot of raw chicken) in my freezer.
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I have found that when I tried to “stretch” a meal by adding grains (whole wheat homemade pasta and breads) my kids were hungry all the time. I couldn’t give them enough food. Now that we’re eating more fat and more protein my kids aren’t starving all the time like they were previously.
I only “stretch” our chicken for two meals, but then don’t I have to provide snacks all day long. Thankfully my chicken is only $6.00 per chicken. Love the Hutterite colony that sell these!!!
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Andrea Q Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Protein is the key. You can’t really stretch with just carbs.
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So if I am understanding someone’s comment correctly, you cook the chicken until you have good broth, and the replace the broth with water and cook again to get even more broth? Doesn’t the chicken over cook and dry out some? Or does that just happen with boneless skinless breasts? And just how much broth can you get out of one chicken?
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Laura Reply:
January 25th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I actually cook the chicken until I have a good broth, then DEBONE the chicken for eating and use the BONES to make another broth. Otherwise, yes…the chicken would be pretty dry!
I usually get about a gallon of broth out of my big chickens.
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I’m thrilled to get 2-3 meals – roast and enjoy with lots of sides, use leftover meat in a casserole or for chicken tacos (YUM), use bones for broth (which my husband refuses to consume in most forms).
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After I took the chicken out of the broth I scooped out the veggies. Then I liquified them in the food processor and put them back in the broth with the chicken bones. this made amazing broth. YUM!
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We really like Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and Jambalaya.
I have the recipes posted at my blog under “Cajun and Southern” foods.
http://www.foodfunfamily.worpress.com
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I invariably stretch a chicken over 6 meals, and make lots of broth. I make all of the dishes suggested by you and your other readers. The biggest meal stretcher of all is Brunswick Stew.
Boil the bones one last time. Use any scraps of meat and all the broth from this final cooking. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, l clove garlic, 4 or 5 potatoes, chopped, a cup or so of peas and/or green beans, a cup of sliced celery, a cup or so of corn kernels, a cup or so of lima beans, a couple of chopped carrots, okra, if desired. Add a bay leaf, poultry seasoning, and lots and lots of black pepper. Salt to taste, and add some Old Bay seasoning, if you have any, and Tabasco, if you don’t. Cook for hours and hours. The chicken meat should be in shreds. Freezes well. This is soooo good.
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I absolutely love your disclaimer. Too funny. I’ve been trying to transition to free range chickens off the farm, but honestly, the price bothers me. After reading your post, the price seems realistic and do-able. $15.00 for 6 meals, not bad a’tall.
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We’re a family of 11 w/8 of us being adult eaters. We can maybe do this with 2 chickens or 1 turkey. Preferably we cook a 20+ lb turkey and get many meals out of that. We’ve also cooked the bones twice and still get nice broth.
We’ve recently gone to more lower carb meals for some of us so this is not near so feasible w/o the high carb fillers unless I use spaghetti squash in place of the noodles, rice or potatoes.
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We do a lot with our chicken leftovers. Some of our homemade favorites are:
Alfredo Chicken and Mushroom Pizza
Chicken Pot Pie (with left over Chicken & veggies)
Chicken Noodle or Chicken Veggie Soup
Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Fresh Spinach & Chicken Salad
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I did this on Sunday, made chicken broth then took the meat of the bone. The cooked chicken (and some of the broth) will be used for:
Chicken and Dumpling Stew
Chicken Tabbouleh (traditional Middle Eastern Tabbouleh w/cooked chicken added. Yum.
Chicken Hash (my kids love this one) The potatoes are a main ingredient, which allows you to use less of the chicken.
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Very glad to see you buy QUALITY meat! We raise chicken and it is expensive to do so! Our chickens go for $15 as well, but they taste like REAL chicken and the flavor is amazing. Keep encouraging others to support the small farmer! :)
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Laura Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Oh yes…the chickens we get are so delicious and meaty! Good for you for doing all the hard work so that WE can eat well!! :)
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With a whole chicken I’ll make mole chicken. With the leftover chicken and mole sauce I’ll make enchiladas. My husband loves how the mole sauce tastes in enchiladas. And we usually have enough enciladas for two meals since I make rice and beans on the side and there are only 3 of us in my family. Even with a small family I still like to stretch my chicken.
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What is a good price per pound for a whole chicken? Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Well, I’m not sure how much they cost at the store, as it’s been a while since I bought one there. I pay $2.75/pound for an extra large pasteured chicken, which costs around $15…but again…lasts me for around 6 meals. I feel like this is a very fair price for such a high quality and MEATY chicken. :)
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I also cook chicken to make broth and then shred the meat to stretch for several meals. It saves us so much money to make our broth instead of buy it. We like to stretch it by making:
1. chicken salsa soup (chicken and broth)
2. cheeseburger soup (broth)
3. chicken casseroles (broth and chicken)
4. white chili (broth and chicken)
5. tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or whatever other Mexican dish we might want :) (chicken)
6. shredded chicken bbq sandwiches (chicken)
We love chicken at our house and this is just the best way to do it.
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Hello, so many great ideas and comments. I have a question about using the chicken again to make another batch of broth. I buy a chicken, put it in my crockpot filled with water for about twelve hours(overnight). I strain the broth and then freeze it in containers. I seperate the chicken(my family is picky about only white meat) and then discard the bones. From all of the comments, is it true that I can I suppose refill my crockpot and repeat the process again, possibly adding the broth to the original batch? If so, I have wasted alot of the remaining chickens. Thank you for your help!
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Laura Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 8:56 am
Yes, you can read more about how I make lots of broth here: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-chicken-broth
but I usually use my bones twice. Well, actually…I cook the chicken and use the broth from that, then I reuse the bones to make another broth! I was so glad to learn that – which is what helps us get so much out of our chicken!!
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If I’m at Costco i may buy their freshly cooked rotisserie chicken and with the left overs make chicken sandwich, quesidillas or if i have enough meat, popppyseed chicken.
if I have time, i like to cook my own chicken to make yummy broth. I freeze some in smaller containers as when we are sick, chicken broth tastes really good, and sometimes i put in ice cube trays…great for using a small portion for gravy or to give a little flavor veggies like broccoli.
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