I’m jumping in for Tightwad Tuesday over at Being Frugal again this week. Lynnae offers a frugal living tip of her own and then allows others to participate, thereby creating a one-stop place for frugal tips each week. There are always some great ideas, so head over there and check it out!
Today I’m going to share a tip that saves time, saves money, and tastes delicious. Does it get any better than that?
Whole roasting chickens go on sale at my grocery store about once every six weeks or so, and when it’s on sale it’s a REALLY good deal. I don’t care for buying chicken drumsticks or thighs, but a whole, roasting chicken is great. I bought a 5-lb. chicken last week at $0.79/lb. Here’s what I did:
First night, toss the chicken in the crock pot with 1/2 cup water and season (I used salt, pepper, onion powder, chicken seasoning, thyme and rosemary). I set it to low and let it cook for about 7-8 hours. There are a few great things about using my crock pot as opposed to roasting it in the oven.
- It won’t dry out like it would if I cooked it in the oven too long.
- It requires little, if any, of my attention.
- So juicy!
Along with the chicken I served white rice, chicken gravy and I threw a bag of those steam-in-the-bag veggies in the microwave. The dinner outcome was delish (not to mention quick and easy). We ate the chicken over the rice with the gravy and my daughter asked for more and more. This meal was super inexpensive, but it didn’t end there.
That night, I boiled the carcas (I know this sounds disgusting, heck, it looks disgusting) to make my chicken stock. After it was done, strained and cooled I put it in the fridge for the night. In the morning I pulled it out and it had solidified so I was able to easily scrape the fat off the top. I plopped it into a big soup pot added a little bouillon and some extra spices and left it to simmer. About 30 minutes before lunch I tossed in the leftover veggies and rice from the night before. So tasty. I had also saved all of the extra chicken, which I used for a sandwich to go with my soup. This lunch lasted me a few days. And speaking of the leftover chicken …
The next night I was making sweet and sour chicken and I was able to use my leftover roasting chicken instead of thawing boneless breasts like I had planned.
Whole roasting chickens are a great way to make a little money go a long way in your grocery budget. What other types of foods do you put to use this way?
Why I do what I do ~ tonight my hubby asked Chloe what time she wanted to go to bed and, having no concept of time, my daughter replied, “5:40.”
photo credit: Special*Dark
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t forget how we used the very last of the chicken as a topping for our Buffalo Chicken Pizza! So that chicken contributed to four meals!
My pops makes a killing when pork roast goes on sale. Throw it in the crock pot with some veggies and potatoes and you’ve got a great meal. But then he turns leftovers into the best BBQ this side of the mason dixon line. We can eat BBQ for the next week. Like you he’s developed some great methods to remove fat from the leftovers.
The weakonomist’s last blog post..Weaky #11: Sweet Home, Nigeria
Wow! You really know how to use the whole chicken. I’ve started buying chicken thighs as they are cheaper and I enjoy how tender they are on the bbq. Did you make your sweet and sour chicken using a store made sauce, or did you make it yourself?
The Passive Dad’s last blog post..Free Money Saving Tips For 2009
“Boil the carcass” does sound funny, LOL, but I can’t think of a better way to say it! “Recook the remains” somehow doesn’t cut it. I always do this with any leftover bones and have a nice supply of broth in my freezer.
mom2fur’s last blog post..Frugal Friday
This sounds yummy! I love to cook chicken in the crockpot. It is so cool to be able to stretch a chicken or turkey into many meals.
momstheword’s last blog post..FRUGALITY – IS IT A HOBBY? A JOB? OR A LIFESTYLE?
Thanks for the great ideas! I have a whole chicken in my freezer right now that I paid $.89 per pound for (I know that’s not a GREAT deal…)
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