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W E DN E SDA Y , FE BR UA RY 1 8, 2 0 0 9
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The stretchability of a whole chicken is a frequently discussed topic among food
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family of 11 for weeks, years - even millennia. Even after 20 months of keeping
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CHG, I’m constantly gobsmacked by how moms and dads can create dinner Breakfast, Lunch - Snack -
Daring Bakers - Tiramisù after dinner from the same bird. Dinner - Dessert.
www.diabetesinfocenter.org
Hey, Jealousy: Every
Blogger Was a Newbie Once Here’s the thing: sometimes, those dinners aren’t the healthiest meals in the
world. There tend to be a lot of quesadillas and casseroles whenever these type
of posts pop up, not to mention chicken salads drenched with full-fat mayo.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with this whatsoever (except the mayo - blech), but
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I wanted to see if I could put a healthier spin on it.
More from iVillage In Season Fruits &
Let Us Eat Cake! A Recipe In a sentence: I wanted to find out if it was possible to create a gaggle of
for Every Craving inexpensive, lower-fat meals with the leftovers from one big ol’ chicken. Veggies (NY): February
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots,
Here were my rules: Cauliflower, Celery Root, Grapefruit,
Kiwi, Leafy Cooking Greens, Leeks,
Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Potatoes,
The budget – for EVERYTHING - was $25. Rhubarb, Rutabaga, Sunchokes,
I had to use as much food already in my pantry as possible. (Which Turnips, Water Chestnuts, Winter
accounted for a lot, and saved me mad dough in the long run.) Squash, Yams/Sweet Potatoes
Each meal had to feed at least two people (The Boyfriend and me).
Bonus points for leftovers.
The chicken had to be used up within a few days, so it wouldn’t go bad.
The meals had to have reasonable variety, preferably from a range of
cuisines. It couldn’t be Chicken with Spaghetti on Day 1, then Chicken
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with Penne on Day 2.
The meals had to have very little added fat, since the leftover chicken Monday: Recipe
would provide most of it. Tuesday: Potpourri
Wednesday: Article
And? Victory, for the most part. I ended up cooking five distinct, delicious, Thursday: Veggie Might
largely healthy dinners with PLENTY of leftovers. And miracle of miracles, Friday: Links of the Week
there were no duds in the group. (Thanks, online reviewers!)
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However, I did go $0.86 over budget. I’m okay with that, though. Between
CHG Favorites what we consumed each night and ate for lunch the next day, that $25.86 made 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From
17 full meals, which works out to $1.52 each. That’s less than a cup of Starbucks 10 Pantry Staples
The Barefoot Cont…
coffee, so … aces. 61 Cheap, Healthy Party Food Recipes
Ina Garten, Martha …
$22.14 65 Cheap, Healthy, One-Dish Meals
What follows is the menu breakdown, complete with pictures and links to four with Good Leftover Potential
Ina never fails. of the five recipes. The last, a Cook’s Illustrated curry dish, isn’t online, so I
102 Cheap, Healthy Salad Dressings
transcribed it at the very bottom of this post. There’s also a master grocery list,
KitchenAid KSM15… so y’all can see the price breakdown of everything. 134 Cheap, Healthy Zucchini and
KitchenAid Eggplant Recipes
$248.74 With that said, let’s get started with introductions: Charles, these are the CHG 147 Cheap, Healthy Pork Recipes
Beautiful! Useful! Heavy! readers. CHG readers, this is Charles. He’s my chicken. He’s 6.99 lbs.
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My cookware set. (Prices Marcella Hazan’s Lemon Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes Do-Gooding Eggs Frugality
fluctuate big-time.)
2 servings
Chicken consumed: 10 ounces
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Chow

We kicked everything off with Marcella’s Lemon Roasted Chicken. It’s been Cook for Good
featured on the blog before, with good reason. In a world of dry, lame-o poultry, Culinate
it is the Queen Mum of moist, flavorful goodness. Plus, when you add a few
Economy Bites
thick-cut carrots and quartered (unpeeled) red potatoes to the pan before it
starts cooking, it becomes a whole meal. (Seriously, that’s all you have to do.) Food Blog Search
Together, The Boyfriend and I polished off all the vegetables and 10 ounces of Get Rich Slowly
chicken (five ounces each) for a Sunday night meal.
Healthy Eats

Afterwards, we stripped the chicken bare. Nude. Butt-naked. There was nothing Hillbilly Housewife
left on that carcass but skin and gristle. It was a little hyena-like, honestly, but I Heart Kale
fun nonetheless. In total, our booty came to 2 pounds, 4 ounces of pure,
Kalyn's Kitchen
straight-up leftover meat, mostly from the breast. Here’s a shot of the carnage.
Money Saving Mom
Post Punk Kitchen
Serious Eats
Slashfood
Smart Spending
The Kitchn
The Simple Dollar
Wise Bread
Words to Eat By

Friends, Family, and

Other Sweet Blogs
Born Under Punches (neat stuff)
If I had half a brain, I would have saved Charles’ bones to make stock. But I Chief Family Officer (personal finance)
forgot.
Comedy Nerds (comedy)

To quote the bard, “Duh.” Grapes and Grains NYC (wine)

Hudson Grown (food)
I've Paid for This Twice Already
Day 2
(personal finance)
Cooking Light’s Chicken Picadillo with Rice and Black Beans
3 servings Like Merchant Ships (budget decor)
Leftover chicken consumed: 1 pound Lou Reads the Internet (web comedy)
No Expiration (music)
The Laughing Moon (jewelry)

Disclaimer
We are not chefs, nutritionists, or personal
finance professionals, and nothing we
write should be interpreted as expert
advice. Also, plagiarism sucks. Don't do it.
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

(Note: The experiment almost ended here, since I didn’t go grocery shopping in
time for Day 2. Fortunately, for this particular recipe, everything was in my
pantry already. [Woo hoo!])

Going in, I had mid-level expectations for Chicken Picadillo, and was super-
pleasantly surprised by the results. All in all, it’s supremely easy to cook, and a
nice change from the average Tex-Mex dish. Ground chicken, salsa, raisins, and
almonds make up the main ingredients, but a dash of cinnamon ties it all
together, giving everything a warm, lovely flavor. We ate it with plain rice and
mashed black beans (to prepare: heat in pot, mash with masher, add salt and
pepa), and used the leftovers to create a chicken/lettuce/salsa wrap the next
day for lunch. Good times.

Day 3
White Chicken Chili
2-3 servings
Leftover chicken consumed: 1-1/2 cups

This tangy, mild, ridiculously simple chili was The Boyfriend’s favorite dish of
the bunch. (He is the Chili King. He can do anything.) He slurped a bowl in
record time, scarfed leftovers for lunch the next day, and openly wept when I
told him he had finished it all. Poor guy.

The key to keeping this dish low-fat is the beans. By lightly mashing them, you
create a thicker chili consistency, and don’t have to add as much cheese. FYI: If
you like your chilis a little spicier, the heat is eminently adjustable here: just
include the jalapeno seeds OR add another pepper altogether.

Day 4
Food Network’s Sesame Noodles with Chicken
5 servings
Chicken consumed: 1 cup

Three days into this thing, and we were barely halfway through Charles’ leftover
meat. That started to change here.

It must be known: I loooooooove noodles. I luff them. I lurve them. I want to

kiss them, but they keep falling through my fingers. (Ooo … deep.) Naturally
then, this dish from Food Network was my favorite of the experiment. It’s a
cross between Ellie Krieger’s Aromatic Noodles and this Noodle Salad from
Cooking Light, with just a little more tang. The whole shebang is a tad higher
in fat than the experiment’s others (see: butter, peanut), but it’s the healthy,
protein-y kind, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

One note: I substituted a pitted, sliced regular cucumber for the Kirby. No
harm, no foul, and it worked just fine.

Day 5
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

Cook’s Illustrated’s Chicken Curry in a Hurry

(recipe at bottom of post)
4 servings
Chicken consumed: 2 cups

Finally, we had reached the end. Charles was nearly tapped by Day 5, though
perhaps surprisingly, we weren’t getting tired of chicken in the least.

It’s a good thing, then, we went with Curry in a Hurry. Served with a side of
brown rice, it’s a fast, fantastic, Indian-inspired weeknight meal that will
absolutely use up the last of any leftover chicken. Plus, it’s a lot of frigging food.
CI claims it serves four people, it’s really more like five or six. Maybe eight or
nine if you’re elves.

Note: we skipped the peas because they represent the oppression of the worker
by the bourgeoisie, and can only be freed through shared profit and
community-wide effort. (Oh wait – that’s not right. Actually, I just forgot to buy
them. It didn’t make a difference.)

~~~

And that, my friends, is it. We're full. The chicken's gone. The experiment
worked.

Here’s our grocery list (just like we promised!), plus the curry recipe, should you
be into it. Comments and questions are welcome, and I'd love to hear what y'all
have done with a whole chicken. Enjoy!

~~~

SHOPPING LIST
(* means I already had it in my pantry or fridge)

1 7-lb Oven Stuffer Roaster chicken: $6.92

1 lb thick carrots: $0.67
1-1/2 lbs red or Yukon gold potatoes: $1.42
2 lemons: $0.80
*1 or 2 tablespoons salt: $0.04
*3 teaspoons olive oil: $0.11
*2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil: $0.36
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil: $0.18
*2-1/2 medium onions: $0.30
*9 garlic cloves: $0.30
*2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin: $0.05
*1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon: $0.01
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning: $0.02
*Pinch ground cloves: $0.01
*1 teaspoon crushed red pepper: $0.05
*1/2 to 1 tablespoon curry powder: $0.07
*1 cup bottled salsa: $0.99
*1/3 cup golden raisins: $0.79
*1/4 cup raisins: $0.42
*1/4 cup slivered almonds: $0.73
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts: $0.35
1 large bunch fresh cilantro: $0.99
*1 14-oz can black beans: $0.67
1 can large white beans: $1.39
*1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas: $0.67
*1-2/3 cup uncooked brown rice: $0.95
1 seeded jalapeño pepper: $0.25
1 cucumber: $0.80
6 scallions: $0.67
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger: $0.32
1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chilies: $1.49
*2 cups chicken broth: $0.60
*1 pound spaghetti or Chinese egg noodles: $0.80
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter: $0.21
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

*1/4 cup soy sauce: $0.38

*2 tablespoons dark brown sugar: $0.06
*1 tablespoon rice vinegar: $0.24
*1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (we used low-fat, and it was okay): $0.28
*1/2 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese: $0.50
TOTAL: $25.86

~~~

Cook’s Illustrated’s Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 to 1 tablespoon curry powder (mine is hot, so I only use ½)
Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
½ cup water
2 cups shredded of thinly sliced cooked chicken
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas (I left this out, but please use)
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (we used low-fat, and it was okay)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1. BUILD CURRY BASE: Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until
shimmering. Add onion, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until
onion is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. ADD WATER, MEAT, VEGETABLES, AND COOK: Stir in water, meat,

chickpeas, peas, and raisins. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, 3
to 5 minutes.

3. GARNISH AND SERVE: Off heat, stir in yogurt and cilantro and serve. Over
brown rice is a good option.
11 diggs

Labels: Cooking, Frugality, Mains, Meat and Fish, Organization

59 comments:

Michele said...
you are my hero. my HERO. i am bowing - you just can't see me

February 18, 2009 1:16 PM

Alex said...
I think this is your best blog post EVER.
P.S. I really enjoyed the quinoa soup.

February 18, 2009 2:04 PM

Her Royal Highness said...

Stretching chicken is a long-time frugally honored practice. And yes, you
SHOULD have saved Charles' bones for stock. BAD! BAD FRUGAL PERSON!

There's tons of other sites on the web that give even more recipes to add to the
ones here - just google "rubber chicken recipe" or "stretch chicken recipe". Voila.
Even I, myself, have written an article on how to properly stretch a chicken.

February 18, 2009 2:57 PM

Marcia said...
Okay, this post was absolutely awesome. I can't believe it. It's perfect...recipes,
grocery list, breakdown of cost...AND nicely going around the globe with cuisine,
which I like very much.

I must try to do the same the next time I roast a chicken (though ours are usually
about half that size).

February 18, 2009 3:13 PM

Anonymous said...
I love you..healthy low, fat, and on a budget. You are my hero also..and you just
planned next week.
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

February 18, 2009 3:22 PM

Kris said...
AUGH! You guys, that's awesome. Thank you times ten, and let me know how
everything comes out.

(Oh! And if I had remembered to buy broccoli, I was thinking of going with
calzones for one of the meals. It's definitely a possibility...)

February 18, 2009 3:32 PM

TC said...
So...you guys say it's OK to keep a chicken in the food rotation/in the fridge for
five days without worrying that it's gone bad? I've always thought three...But if I
can stretch it to five, WOOHOO!

February 18, 2009 5:59 PM

Meredith@MerchantShips said...
Destined to be a winning post!

I've been cheating on my chicken plan. I figured out that my corner grocery marks
its rotisserie chickens to $2.49 after 7 pm, even if they came out of the roaster an
hour before.

I have a lot of cheap chicken meals in my future!

February 18, 2009 6:01 PM

Teresa said...
Okay, so this is my first time on this website, therefore my first time reading your
blog.
Let me say it was fun to read, as well as very informative. I don't think any of the
recipes sounded like something I would hate. I am even encouraged to roast a
whole chicken and pick it clean at least this once. (I am strictly a boneless skinless
chicken breast or ground turkey person usually)
Thank you so much and I look forward to reading more blogs in the future.

February 18, 2009 10:21 PM

Torey said...
This is absolutely amazing. I'm totally inspired to try this and the recipes look
delicious. I love your blog.

February 19, 2009 1:17 AM

TKTC said...
I love this post and the site looks GREAT!!!

February 19, 2009 12:06 PM

Just another SAHM said...

I bet you won't forget to make stock from the bones next time. lol
I think you did a fabulous job & I love that you went beyond the usual 'cream of
soup' casserole (etc...) for your chicken meals.
That white chicken chili looks wonderful & we'll definitely be trying that the next
time I have leftovers.
Thanks for sharing!

February 19, 2009 12:33 PM

Sarah Eliza said...

This is a *great* experiment. So intrigued to try to duplicate it! Thanks so much :)

February 19, 2009 4:35 PM

Lindsey said...
What GORGEOUS blog is this I am reading???? I LOVE the redesign! And
seriously lady? This post. Brilliant. Genius. Inspiring.

I fully intend to recreate this entire post with all the recipes, but only AFTER next
week's Nola to Austin move- currently sticking to some nonsense about trying to
eat everything in my kitchen without buying anything new. Harumph.

But kudos, and I will let you know how it turns out!

February 19, 2009 11:37 PM

Anonymous said...
thought you should know that workers (who are the proletariat) are actually
controlled by the bourgeoisie.
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

February 20, 2009 7:37 PM

CJ said...
Bought a couple of turkeys on sale during Thanksgiving seson an popped them in
the deep freeze.
.
We thawed one out and roasted it on Sunday. Your post came just in time for more
inspiration!
.
Sunday- roast turkey and the standard fixin's
.
Monday- carcass into the pot for stock/turkey cottage pies with extra veggies,
mashed potato topping and light grating of parmesan cheese
.
Tues.- turkey enchiladas
.
Wed.- turkey in white cream sauce with carmelized onions and sauteed portabello
mushrooms over rotini pasta
.
Here's where you inspiration kicked in-
Made the chicken chili with turkey (of course)
and now have a big batch of broth left for soups!!!
I think I'm going to freeze the rest of the turkey in some stock (to prevent freezer
burn) and save for another week.
.
We cook this way a lot but seems like turkeys and hams really stretch out for
meals.
Thanks again for the GTEAT ideas.

February 21, 2009 11:48 AM

Michelle said...
WOW! Great blog.
Let me know if you ever do email subscriptions (I never get around to a reader).

February 22, 2009 9:47 PM

Christy said...
Wow! I am totally impressed. I love this entire post. Thanks so much!

February 23, 2009 2:34 PM

Jeff S. said...
Wow. Very impressive, K. Even a lazy guy like me, addicted to bad food and
generally unimpressed by chicken, can get excited about a post like this. You made
a grocery list? What are you, applying for sainthood?

February 23, 2009 5:58 PM

Amy K. said...
Ooh, I will have to try that chili. We have a chicken in the fridge, defrosting right
now, and I love the inspiration, thank you!

For Valentine's day we roasted a duck, per Julia Child's recipe from "The way to
Cook". The next day, we had the same meal, round 2 (leftover meat, leftover roast
potatoes, leftover salad. Not as romantic, but pragmatic :-)

Day 3: Biscuits and gravy with shreddy duck parts. I saved the bones and giblets
for gravy, and used the neck meat and cooked giblets in this "mystery meat" dish.
Feel free to "eew," it was an experiment. I loved it.

Day 4 Duck Fried Rice

Day 5 Risotto, a "cheater" meal made with the stock. I added toasted pine nuts,
delicious!

Still have some stock left over, and a meal worth of the fried rice.

February 23, 2009 8:08 PM

Rachel B. said...
Thanks SO MUCH for this post! I made the lemon chicken tonight (throwing in
some rosemary smushed about in olive oil, too, since that's the way I like my
taters), and look forward to trying some of the other chicken recipes later this
week. And yes, this is indeed the best way to roast a chicken. I've never made one
so delicious before.

February 23, 2009 11:21 PM

Kris said...
TC - Er, actually, that's a good question. I've never had a problem stretching it to
four or five days, but, um, anyone out there work for the FDA?
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

Amy K. - Duck is a great idea. It's dang tasty when it's cooked well.

Rachel B. - Nice! So happy it worked out for you!

Anon - Crap! I get them confused almost as much as Bill Paxton and Bill Pullman.
It's been changed.

Thanks, you guys!

February 24, 2009 11:00 AM

Chocoholic said...
Mmmm, this looks good. If you do this again, I heartily recommend Jamie Oliver's
roasted chicken receipes. Both the Perfect Roast Chicken and one he did with
some lemon, butter and herbs spread under the skin. A tip I found for seperating
the skin on the chickens breast to season between it and the meat is to use a
fondue fork to seperate it. It's a slightly gross thought but...after seeing plastic
surgury shows I realized the fondue fork looked like the tool they use on there to
seperate the skin and muscle layers.

February 25, 2009 10:31 AM

MCM Voices said...

This is such a great, inspiring post!!

I was keen to try this experiment and although I didn't prepare for it as well as you
did, and although it didn't stretch to 5 days because there are 4 of us and I think
we're greedier than you and the BF, it was all great fun and very tasty!

I roasted the chicken the way I usually do - rub it with a combination of salt,
paprika, thyme, pepper and a bit of cayenne and toss it in the oven for a couple
hours at 350 F and baste occasionally. Served with a salad of spinach, lettuce,
crumbled feta, chopped pecans and chopped pear, balsamic vinaigretted.

Day 2 was Chicken Curry in a Hurry. Yum!! That was a big hit. There was enough
left over for a modest lunch.

Day 3 I paid homage to Marcella Hazan since I had spurned her lemon chicken
recipe: I made her creamy zucchini with fusilli from her Classic Italian Cooking,
and substituted chicken for the zucchini. There was just enough for 4 of us.

Day 4 There was enough chicken left to use as a sort of garnish in something, or
maybe to make enchiladas, and since I did cook the carcass on Day 1 and had
some very good stout broth, I was planning to make a cream of carrot soup on Day
5. However, my kids are sick and chicken soup seemed like the thing, so I ended
up combining Days 4 and 5 with a cream of chicken soup with vegetables and rice,
along the lines of http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickensouprecipes
/r/bl61220c.htm and adding rice to it.

The chicken was on sale for 99 cents a pound so it cost me just under $7, and I
had all the ingredients for the other stuff already. Normally the leftover chicken
from the roast would have just gone into chicken salad or straight into
sandwiches, so I loved doing this and really thinking about how to stretch this
bird. Thank-you so much for your post.

Mary

February 25, 2009 5:14 PM

Kris said...
Mary, that rules! So happy it worked for you guys!

February 25, 2009 5:59 PM

Amanda said...
Absolutely brilliant! Thanks for sharing this one!

February 26, 2009 9:55 AM

Jessica said...
I am bookmarking this! Great ideas, never know what to do with leftover chicken
and now I do. THANKS!

February 28, 2009 5:16 PM

taralynn819 said...
We finished up a "Charles" of our own just today! Only, I wasn't super creative
about different meals. Basically, we ate chicken, rice, and a veggie for three
nights.

Meanwhile, the rest of the meat froze for a week, with which I turned into a
mother-of-a-kettle of chicken noodle soup. We ate on that for five whole days.
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

We should have polished it off sooner, but the first day Hubby got stomach sick
and the third we took a day trip. But that's a whole lot of nights I didn't have to
cook!

So here I am today scouring your site for a dinner idea for tonight...

March 2, 2009 2:34 PM

Karen Datko said...

I did my chicken the Marcella Hazan way and it was truly the best roasted chicken
I've ever made. I've also tried the peanut and noodles recipe but used beef.
Incredibly delicious. I'm defrosting another chicken to roast and I'll make it again
with my leftover chicken. It's that good. Yum. Thanks so much, Kris.

March 23, 2009 8:51 PM

Betsy said...
Loved this post--I do "rubber chicken" at least twice a month and, like you, avoid
the higher-fat leftover dishes. We throw the leftover chicken into stir-fry, a wicked
variety of soups (and I ALWAYS make stock--if you've flavored your roast chicken
nicely, you don't have to add anything else to that stockpot besides water and a bit
of salt), wraps with salad greens/vinaigrette/etc. etc. etc. I'm linking this to my
blog--hope that's okay!

March 30, 2009 1:45 PM

website design nyc said...

nice post

April 11, 2009 2:58 AM

Anonymous said...
Did the last recipe today. They were really great. We fed four people (well, three
and a half, my picky night year old ate a lot of PB&J this week) off one chicken -
with leftovers most nights.

Changes - I'd stretch the chili with another can of beans if I made it again - we
managed to feed three with it, but it was the only 'sparse' meal.

I made the Asian noodles with rice noodles instead of spaghetti (gluten issues).
Turned out great.

If I redid the week I'd make the chicken pecadillo last. The rest of the recipes I
picked through the best parts of "Charles" - since the chicken is ground for chicken
pecadillo it would be the best recipe to use the 'edible but not attractive' bits.

April 11, 2009 1:37 PM

Julia Mangan said...

I love this post!

May 24, 2009 2:47 PM

Health Remedies said...

Awesome, I'm fallen in love with you.

May 27, 2009 3:52 AM

Anonymous said...
Roast Chicken-- HUGE success: i.e. moist and delicious, my smoke alarm did not
go off (always seems to when I do something like that in the oven, even when
things are perfectly fine), and I followed the suggestion and threw some potatoes
and carrots underneath--OMG...not the healthiest option, but they were
absolutely amazing and worth every gram of chicken fat.

The picadillo was not a hit with my family (21 m, 3 1/2, 5, and hubby)although I
happily ate it. Everyone loved the chili (I added the peppers to the adults only),
and my husband and I LOVED the chicken curry in a hurry (only ones home that
night). I roasted one 3 pound chicken and used another 3 pounder to cook for
stock because the deal of the week was on the small ones. For the stock, I just pull
it apart after an hour or so to save the meat and returning bones to pot to cook for
three or four more hours so I could roast one for dinner and make stock all at
once.

We didn't have enough chicken to make the noodles, but I was still impressed that
it went as far as it did. Next time I'll probably get (3) 3-pounders and roast two,
one for stock. But my family is bigger than most.

THANKS! Most fun I've had in the kitchen in a while, minus the dishes :) Used to
cook well all the time but am just now getting back into it after "baby" #3...your
blog is very inspiring. This is an excellent post!
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

June 21, 2009 10:35 AM

Anonymous said...
oh, and yes, another can of beans for the chili is needed.

June 21, 2009 10:37 AM

Anonymous said...
I found your blog on accident while looking for a chicken recipe for some boneless,
skinless chicken I had thawed. I therefore, had to skip your first meal but have
tried them all and am trying to decide whick to try again! They were wonderful.
Thanks for your great blog. We appreciate it. Thanks!!

July 15, 2009 4:09 AM

Кино онлайн бесплатно без смс said...

As always wonderful. Added to bookmarks.

January 16, 2010 6:56 PM

Andrew said...
I just came across this post on BoingBoing, right after I roasted a chicken last
Sunday and made two more meals for 4 from the same bird. That's 12 meals from
one bird, so not quite as many as you got, but I wasn't challenging myself! Roasted
stuffed chicken with herb butter on Sunday, Buffalo Chicken Pizza on Tuesday,
and a very large pot of Zesty Chicken Noodle soup on Friday. I am still eating the
soup, so perhaps it's closer to 15 meals. Not as healthy as you, but if you want to
see the recipes they are on my blog: www.lechefskitchen.com
Will be following you more closely now! Drew

March 1, 2010 9:59 PM

evilsciencechick said...
Boil the bones with some wilted veggies to make a stock! It will be kind of weak
with only one carcass, but still good for a meal of soup one night and some risotto
the next.

All excellent recipes, though. What a cool experiment :)

March 1, 2010 10:50 PM

Megan said...
You might know by now that you got posted to Boing Boing today-- but congrats
anyway! I love your site and have bookmarked it. I'll be looking for more cheap
recipes (and humor) in the future!

March 1, 2010 11:01 PM

Anonymous said...
Uh, oh. Here comes Debbie Downer. I really suggest everyone read Jonathan
Safran Foer's latest book, Eating Animals. I'm not posting here to preach morality.
It is not possible to have a Perdue chicken and the term "healthy" inhabit the same
space. Not possible. Perdue, like any other factory farm, produces Frankenstein
food. The chickens are genetically engineered, fed substances (hormones,
antibiotics, animal "byproducts") we wouldn't allow our dogs and cats to eat, and
after slaughter their meat is pumped up with saline water. I'm not making this up.
This is what the industry admits to. To the authors of this blog, I love 95 percent
of what you post, but this chicken recipe needs to advocate for family farmed
chicken.

March 2, 2010 1:27 AM

SF Legend said...
"twenty-six dollars bucks"

March 2, 2010 9:28 AM

Eeyore said...
I like to take the whole chicken, put it in water, cook it for a couple hours, then
make a huge stew with all the leftovers in my fridge. Better than cleaning out a
pantry--when else would I eat the leftover green beans from a week ago or save the
slightly freezer burned carrots? Secret ingredient to make the stew pop: soy sauce.
Add dumplings if you aren't afraid of the carbs. The last stew I made fed 2 people
for 6 meals!

email me if you'd like the recipe. culturalxpatriot AT gmail dot com

March 2, 2010 10:08 AM

Anonymous said...
This was an awesome post. Any chance you can repeat the experiment with beef or
fish or some kind? I'm highly allergic to poultry. I'm not much of a cook either, so
would the above recipes work with beef?
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

March 2, 2010 10:11 AM

Anonymous said...
Hmmm

A couple of points.

1. The curry recipe. Raisins in a curry are a cardinal sin. A generic curry powder is
no substitute for the real thing and it is sooo easy to make it yourself.

2. Tinned produce? Beans. These are way more expensive than dried. IF you do
not have one, get a pressure cooker and use that to cook them quickly and/or soak
overnight. These devices are invaluable for cooking (the best being Fissler from
Germany - mine is 12 years young and used a couple of times a week - which
although expensive is worth every cent and still going strong).

3. In another post you mention that olive oil is good due to its high smoke point.
Please note that this is INCORRECT. Olive oil is an unrefined oil and typically has
a smoke point of 350F or lower. For the other olive oils the trace elements left after
the use of solvents can become carcinogenic. Therefore it should not be used in
any cooking where the base temperature is > 350F. Far better to use peanut,
canola, safflower, or soy which are refined and are far better suited to this.

4. The chicken carcass. Using a pressure cooker you can extract so much flavor
and goodness PLUS the bones will become soft and can easily be ground down for
inclusion as part of a dog's diet.

March 2, 2010 10:22 AM

Matthew said...
This is great. Just Great.

March 2, 2010 10:26 AM

Kurt C. said...
Great article, but you lose points fo rusing the term "butt-naked". The term is
BUCK naked, not butt.

March 2, 2010 10:38 AM

urpwnd said...
great article and great ideas, however...

please people.. get off the "fat is bad" bandwagon. this has been proven,
conclusively, with science.

excessive carbs from bad sources is where you need to be careful. carbs = sugars =
you getting fat.

check this out.

Debunking Popular Fat Myths

March 2, 2010 11:25 AM

Anonymous said...
Awesom ... too bad u have a boyfriend already :)

March 2, 2010 12:49 PM

Kim Siever said...

Why not just portion and freeze your meat? Then you don’t need to worry about
racing through it all.

March 2, 2010 1:26 PM

GreenStockings said...
We did the same sorta deal with our holiday turkey this year - I *did* make stock
out of the bones, which is still becoming things now, as I froze it all in single cup
servings.

Granted, we did end up making lots and lots of turkey sandwiches, because we
love them, and they don't take much prep work.

March 2, 2010 1:43 PM

Johnny R. (Austin, TX) said...

Great recipes and a great blog, but one thing that comes to mind is that most of
the savings comes from buying a "factory farmed" chicken. These birds are cheap
for a reason--all possible corners are cut to save money and mostly the chicken
pays with crowded conditions, crippled legs, no sunlight, living in its own feces
etc.
I would do the same recipes as the blog but with a free range bird. I buy one every
1 Chicken, 17 Healthy Meals, $26 Bucks, No Mayo http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/02/1-chicken-17-healthy-mea...

1-2 weeks and it costs about $11 for a 4LB bird at Whole Foods. And if you haven't
done this at least once you owe it to yourself because the taste is amazing, it's very
"chickeny" as Julia Child says. Also if you need a bird bigger than 3.5-4LB it's best
to buy 2 smaller birds to ensure tender, tasty meat.

March 2, 2010 2:18 PM

Sally said...
love it!! I just happen to have a large chicken in my freezer from the weekend and
I think I already have all the staples from your grocery list in my pantry so we are
so on for tomorrow's dinner. I also posted your link on a couple of my blogs so
others could get the same benefit. I hope that was ok. I should have asked first. If
it is a problem email me at smilesonly at shaw dot ca and I will remove. Sally

March 2, 2010 2:44 PM

Shel said...
Overall, great post! Thanks for the great information! Five days is a little on the
outside for freshness/safety issues. USDA recommends 3-4 days, without broth or
gravy. Broth or gravy is only good 1-2 days because of bacteria growth.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/chicken_food_safety_focus/index.asp

The best idea is freeze it in portions, as someone suggested, or use a couple of the
meals for lunches. The Chicken Chili should freeze really well for later use. When
freezing, though, make sure to freeze it the same day you cooked it. The freshness
timer doesn't start over just because it's been frozen once.

March 2, 2010 3:08 PM

Anonymous said...
Im really excited about your blog, our family is passing some economic troubled
times and this will certainly help. Thankyou so much!

March 2, 2010 3:18 PM

lyd said...
that was fun - thanks!

March 2, 2010 6:25 PM

Yo Prinzel said...
This is fantastic. Thanks to you and your family for being our guinea pigs!

March 2, 2010 7:46 PM

Melissa said...
This post is amazing! Im bookmarking it right now. I also have a cooking blog,
maybe you could use some of my recipes in coming trials!
www.andyhoward.ca/liss

March 2, 2010 9:40 PM

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