Ok folks, so here's the deal. I am broke, er, I mean, I am financially strapped at this time. We are buying our first home (Yay! Post about that soon to follow.) and I am being challenged at finding ways to make great dinners at a low cost and that are somewhat healthy. So, I put my skills to use, and in one day, I had four separate meals prepared from one single whole chicken. Since I was so proud of my skill in saving time and money, I just knew that this was the place to share my knowledge and pay it forward to the rest of us in tough economic times.
YOU WILL NEED:
1 3-5 lb. whole rotisserie style chicken (remove gizzards and yucky innards should they be included)
1 large slow cooker
Seasoning of your choice (Cajun seasoning here, but you already knew that)
Sprinkle bottom of slow cooker liberally with seasoning, place in chicken, skin on, breast side down. Sprinkle more seasoning on top of chicken. DO NOT ADD WATER! (You can also use a frozen chicken, but it will take an hour or so longer to cook). Cook on low for 6-8 hours, till chicken fat is boiling and leg essentially pulls away from body, or falls right off the bone.
I usually put chicken on before bed on a day I will be off, and when I wake up, it's ready to go. Remove from slow cooker and debone, removing skin, as it is not crispy like a rotisserie oven style chicken . Divide into four portions. You are now ready to prepare your meals!
ONE CHICKEN WILL MAKE:
Chicken salad for lunch for the week
BBQ chicken pizza
Easy chicken veggie pilaf
Baked chicken penne with spinach
And that's it! I made all of these meals in one day, ate the pizza for dinner that night, had the pilaf the next day, followed by the baked pasta. It was easy, inexpensive (the chicken itself cost 5.53) and fed the entire crew all week! I am working on more meal plans in this way, and will be sure to post the individual recipes from this week's 1 Chicken 4 Meals plan soon.
