topic Re: Stretching the budget in Recipes

Stretching the budget

caroln242 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:16:02 GMT

Just out of curiosity I decided to see how far I could stretch one chicken, so Friday my husband and I rotiserried a chicken weighing about 3 ½ pounds. We ate it Friday night, had chicken sandwiches Saturday, had left over chicken Saturday night, and since I still had chicken scraps left, Sunday night I put them in gravy, made biscuits out of Bisquick and spooned the chicken over the biscuits. The chicken cost me $5.15. We got 3 dinners out of one chicken so it cost us 86 cents per meal per person. Plus one lunch. Best deal ever! (For the record, I am now sick of chicken. )

Re: Stretching the budget

spent2much — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:18:33 GMT

That rotisserie chicken is SOOOOOO good, isn't it? (I guess after a few days, I'd be sick of it, too, but it sure is good!!!)

Re: Stretching the budget

Kachina624 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:22:55 GMT

I never tire of chicken. Eat it for most dinners. You can fix it so many different ways and they all have a unique flavor.

Re: Stretching the budget

DiAnne — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:34:24 GMT

Every trip to Costco I bring a rotiesserie chicken home. Can't beat the price.

Re: Stretching the budget

Sooner — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:42:43 GMT

We have bought the cooked breast meat that is shrink wrapped in the deli section many times and it is great! We freeze it in smaller portions after we open it.

We love pot pies, chicken tacos and taco salads, and it is good cold as a snack type meal with a side of potato salad or even just olives and carrot sticks.

Re: Stretching the budget

jannabelle1 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:43:22 GMT

Your last sentence had me laughing out loud! I'd be the same way, but mostly because I'm not a fan of leftover chicken in most any form! You did really great with your whole bird. I bought a rotisserie chicken a couple of weeks ago at Sam's, and while it was good - 2 meals of it about did me in! Still, there are some great ways out there to stretch any person's budget!

Re: Stretching the budget

QVCkitty1 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:56:02 GMT

I like to throw 2 or 3 chicken breasts in the slow cooker and dump a large jar of salsa on top. When they are done I shred the meat and I use it for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or just over rice. Chicken is so versatile .

Re: Stretching the budget

On It — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 02:05:54 GMT

@caroln242 Congratulations on your budget meals! I knew a restaurant owner who did something similar. She cooked chicken everyday for her specials. She boiled the chicken to make broth. Then she used the white meat to make fresh chicken salad, made a casserole (often King Ranch)from the dark meat, and used the broth to make soup (most often tortilla). Nothing went to waste.

I have done that myself when having guests. It does save a lot of prep time and the cost of preparing two or three completely different meals.

Re: Stretching the budget

Sooner — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:40:48 GMT

We keep chicken breasts and whole chickens, GOOD ground beef, and pork tenderloins in the freezer at all times. And we do pretty much all of the above (and thanks for good ideas too!) with them.

We have a few beef steaks and roasts for treats, but all the above posts are good to know and use!

Re: Stretching the budget

wagirl — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 15:08:55 GMT

DD went away to friends this past labor Day weekend--she is dairy intolerant so we don't eat it--use almond milk and the like--anyway-she's gone, I buy a rotisserie chicken, strip it down and make---cheesy, broccoli rice and added the chicken---in an 8x8 pan and that is what I ate from Friday night until Monday a.m. even ate some for breakfast!!! Still have a meal size left---but then i boiled up the carcass and adding a bunch of stuff to it, did save enough meat and now will make DD fave--chicken pot pie--minus all the dairy stuff--so 7 meals for me and 2 more for DD---from one $7.99 roasted chicken----not bad!!!

Re: Stretching the budget

Silverfox1 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:21:03 GMT

We buy rotiserrie chicken several times a month. It seems we are eating beef less and less due to the prices. One chicken gives us a good choice of menu items. We love chicken salad made with celery, hard boiled egg, either shallots or green onion, and if I have it red or yellow pepper. Mix with mayo and serve. In most cases no seasoning is needed since the chicken is already seasoned. I also make a fast chicken vegetable soup and chicken and dumplings. So many ways to use this chicken for $5.00...a real budget stretcher!

Re: Stretching the budget

CelticCrafter — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:27:56 GMT

A Costco rotisserie chicken will give us 2 dinners and enough left to pull off to make either a pot pie or chicken salad.

Re: Stretching the budget

chickenbutt — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 18:24:46 GMT

@caroln242 wrote:
Just out of curiosity I decided to see how far I could stretch one chicken, so Friday my husband and I rotiserried a chicken weighing about 3 ½ pounds. We ate it Friday night, had chicken sandwiches Saturday, had left over chicken Saturday night, and since I still had chicken scraps left, Sunday night I put them in gravy, made biscuits out of Bisquick and spooned the chicken over the biscuits. The chicken cost me $5.15. We got 3 dinners out of one chicken so it cost us 86 cents per meal per person. Plus one lunch. Best deal ever! (For the record, I am now sick of chicken. )

Don't you love it! Stretching is my magic power. Learned, as a kid cooking for us 4 kids with little means, to stretch like nobody's business. I still do it, actually. Food has gotten more expensive the last couple of years and I enjoy making the best of it.

I hope you don't stay sick of chicken. Sometimes, depending on what I'm making, I will freeze and vac-seal some of the extra meals so that I can spread them out. Like you, I can get sick of one thing if I eat it too much.

Re: Stretching the budget

kate2357 — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 20:46:28 GMT

I roast 4 large bone in chicken breasts on Sunday for the traditional chicken dinner (the drippings make excellent stock for gravy or soup). Use up one of the breasts for a salad (bibb lettuce, celery, mandarin oranges, pecans and feta cheese) and last chicken breast is for sandwiches or tacos.

Re: Stretching the budget

KaySD — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 06:09:07 GMT

I never get tired of roast chicken! Year round. Any time of day. Hot or cold. Fixed any way and every way you all mention. Especially when I'm sick. Love to get a big Costco chicken, bring it home and cut it up while still warm. I take the breast meat off the bones, stow the legs, thighs, and wings whole, and set the back, bones and scraps aside to pressure cook for broth. (The "oysters" go in my mouth immediately. Don't tell.) Mmmmm. Then we eat chicken for days.

Re: Stretching the budget

candys mine — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 11:08:12 GMT

@KaySD My lips are sealed. Them that cooks the bird, get the 'oysters"!

Re: Stretching the budget

Sooner — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 12:59:40 GMT

I love Jacques Pepin because he is big on using everything. He has very short but wonderful videos he puts on Facebook and they are great!

Some of you would enjoy them a lot!

Re: Stretching the budget

KaySD — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:34:39 GMT

@candys mine No truer words ever spoken.