A great way to save time, money and your sanity is to turn one meal into three.  We do this in our house by roasting a chicken at the beginning of the week and using it for three (or sometimes more!) meals. Roasted chicken is such a wonderfully versatile protein that you won’t feel like you’ve been eating the same thing over and over again.

Here are some meal plan suggestions for your roasted chicken week!  A good rule of thumb for how much to make is approximately one pound of (uncooked) meat per meal, per adult.  So if you were a family of four you would want to roast a twelve (12) pound bird for three nights of meals.  (You could also roast two smaller birds, if you prefer.)

Roasted Chicken – Night One:

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes!

• Season your bird (under the skin so the meat is flavored too!) and roast it according to weight and package directions.  Roast with your favorite type of potato (we prefer small red potatoes) and some fresh chopped onion and garlic.  Serve with the potatoes and a steamed veggie like broccoli or green beans!
• Tonight you will also want to strip the remaining meat from your chicken, shred, and divide it in half.  Also set the bones aside in a separate container.

Roasted Chicken – Night Two:

Chicken Enchiladas!

• Take half of your shredded chicken and put it in a large bowl with chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped green bell pepper, and minced garlic (figure one of each per four servings).  Stir together then roll mixture into flour tortillas (figure approximately two tortillas per serving). Place filled tortillas in a casserole dish and pour red enchilada sauce over the tortillas (about 8 ounces per four servings). Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for forty-five minutes.  Serve with rice and black beans.
• Tonight you will want to put your chicken bones in the slow cooker or in a large stock pot on the stove overnight to make chicken stock.  Put your bones in the cooking vessel and cover completely with cold water.  If you’re using the stove top, bring to a low boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer.  If you’re using the slow cooker, start on high for one hour, then reduce to low for overnight.  Make sure there is enough water in your container so the pot does not cook dry.

Roasted Chicken – Night Three:

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup!

• By now it’s toward the end of the week, and you’re ready for a break from cooking.  This one’s easy and can simmer on your stove top or in the slow cooker all day.
• Remove the bones from your soup stock and strain well.  Return the stock to your pot or slow cooker and if a significant amount of water has evaporated add some more.  Throw in chopped onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery, corn, and minced garlic.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper as well as any fresh or dried herbs you like. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer or slow cook for the day (but at a minimum for four hours).
• About fifteen minutes before you are ready to serve, bring your soup back to a low boil (or turn to high if you are using the slow cooker), and add a package of egg noodles along with the remaining shredded chicken. Cook until chicken is heated through and noodles are soft.  Serve with crusty french bread.
  

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