Like everyone else, I'm looking to save some money. So I thought maybe using one whole chicken to make 4 things would be helpful. So here's what I did...
Oregano Roasted Chicken
A variation on this Taste of Home recipe
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 lemon
1 head of garlic
1 roasting chicken (6-7 lbs)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Combine butter, salad dressing mix and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cut head of garlic in half; place it and the lemon halves in the chicken cavity. Place chicken on a rack in an ungreased roasting pan. Spoon butter mixture over chicken.
Cover and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with oregano. Bake, uncovered, for 1.5 to 1.75 hours or until meat thermometer reads 165ºF.
Remove chicken from roasting pan; let stand for 5 minutes. Strain drippings. Cut one chicken breast half into 1-inch cubes (should be about 2 cups). Cover and refrigerate cubed chicken breast and 1/4 cup drippings for Tortilla-Vegetable Chicken Soup. Remove the rest of the chicken from the carcass and set aside for Chicken Salad. Save carcass for Chicken Broth.
**********************************************************
Chicken Salad
Leftover roasted chicken (about 3-4 cups)
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1/4-1/2 cup red onion, diced
Thyme leaves from 2-3 springs, stripped from stems and chopped
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Stone-ground or Dijon mustard (depending on your preference)
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
This is a very loose recipe, as it really depends on your preferences, and I've just included mine. I add as much of the mayonnaise and mustard as will make it a moist enough chicken salad.
**********************************************************
Crockpot Chicken Broth
A variation on this recipe
1 chicken carcass, stripped of meat and fat
2 small onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, separated and peeled
1 celery bunch, roughly chopped
4-5 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4-5 thyme sprigs
2 bays leaves
6-8 cups water
You can use any leftover raw vegetables you have on hand. I've found that the ones I listed give the flavor that I like the best, but it's obviously up to you what you want to add.
Place chicken carcass in bottom of crockpot stoneware. Place vegetables and herbs around chicken. Fill stoneware 3/4 of the way full with water. Set crockpot to Low and cook for 10 hours.
Strain contents of stoneware. Let broth chill completely in the refrigerator. Skim off any fat that rises to the top and package for storage in refrigerator or freezer.
**********************************************************
Tortilla-Vegetable Chicken Soup
Courtesy of Taste of Home
3 flour tortillas (fajita-sized), cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup chicken drippings, optional
1 cup chopped celerty
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade from the chicken carcass)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups beef broth
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups frozen corn
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional
Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Meanwhile, skim fat from drippings. In a Dutch oven, sauté celery, carrot and onion in oil until tender. Stir in the chicken broth, black beans, beef broth, tomatoes, chicken, corn, seasonings and drippings if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Serve with cheese if desired and tortilla strips.
No comments:
Post a Comment