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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Roasted Chicken Part 2 The Rest of the Chicken

This post is a continuation of the chicken I roasted in yesterday’s post. Today is about what to do with the rest of the chicken. So, after dinner while my husband is doing the dishes. (Yes, I have a really awesome husband who does the dishes), I start pulling the meat off the chicken bones. Don’t be afraid to really get in there and get as much meat as possible. I put the meat in one bowl and the carcass in another. It’s easier to get the meat off while the chicken is still warm. If you wait until the chicken is cold, you won’t get as much meat. The remaining meat gets used in an assortment of recipes. Some of my favorites are: chicken pot pies, chicken broccoli casserole, chicken noodle soup, or even chicken salad for lunches, really any recipe that doesn’t require the chicken to be carefully cut up. Of course, the number of people eating the roasted chicken and the size of the chicken will effect how much meat is left, but I always find that when I start getting it off the chicken, there’s more there than I would have thought.

Here’s a run down of a couple of my favorite recipes:

Chicken pot pies:
Pieces of chicken, some boiled carrots, corn, and potatoes (and whatever other vegetables you like in your chicken pot pies), a little chicken stock, salt and pepper and pie crust. The lack of precise measurements isn’t a reflection of me not wanting to share, it’s a reflection of me not measuring when I make these.
To make 4-6 individual pot pies, I usually use 2 potatoes, 3 or 4 carrots, and a couple ears of corn. I cut up the potatoes and carrots and boil them until they are cooked but not mushy. I boil the corn and then take it off the cob. Sometimes I add green peas if I'm in the mood. I put the vegetables in a bowl with the chicken and chicken stock. Don’t forget salt and pepper (I always forget salt and pepper in my pot pies) And then scoop it into the containers to be cooked on top of the pie crust. I really like crust on my pot pies, so I put a pie crust on the bottom, add the mix of chicken, vegetables and stock, and then add a pie crust to the top. You want enough stock to keep the pies moist while they bake. I have some glass bowls that we were given as a wedding gift that I usually make them in. They are pretty large, so I can make 4 pies using those.
I decided to try using disposable containers yesterday so that left over pies could be taken as lunches, warmed in an oven and then thrown away. I was able to make 6 this way. I'd like to find paper based disposable containers so that the pie could be microwaved instead, but I didn't see any of those. Bake it at 350 degrees until the top crust is browned. Usually about 15-20 minutes, but I check frequently because burned pie crust isn't yummy. Here are some pot pies I made for dinner last night. The crust is usually prettier, but I was a little short because of the extra pies I was able to make. They still tasted good though!


Chicken broccoli casserole:
Pieces of chicken, some steamed or boiled broccoli, cooked rice, a little chicken stock or cream of mushroom soup, salt and pepper and some shredded cheese (I usually add onion and sometimes whatever else I have around). You can also add some Italian seasoning if you want. I don’t measure with this recipe either. I usually use one bunch of broccoli and a couple bags of the 10 minute rice, one can of cream of mushroom soup or enough stock to keep everything really moist while it bakes. I love cheese, so I usually add 2 cups. Mix it all together and cook at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
If you still have the onion from roasting the chicken, you could add it to either recipe or save it for your stock.

We usually get at least 2 or 3 days off either of these recipes. With the roasted chicken we ate the day before, we can eat or 3 or 4 days off a meat that at the very most cost me 99 cents a pound. I have gotten whole chickens for as low as 39 cents a pound.

In tomorrow’s post, I’ll tell you how I make chicken stock. 

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