By Kim Tilley
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Here are the meals I got out of my 18 chickens:
- 4 Roasted Sticky Chickens with potatoes
- 2 Rosemary Lemon Chickens with potatoes and green beans
- 2 Simmering Chinese Chicken
- 4 bags of chicken legs/thighs for Shake and Bake chicken
- 1 Teriyaki Wings
- 1 Hot Wings
- 2 Forbidden City Chicken
- 2 Fajitas
- 1 gallon bag of Oven Fried Chicken strips (cooked)
- 2 gallon bags of Deep Fried Chicken Strips (raw)
- 2 gallon bags of chicken backs for All purpose Chicken
- 1 gallon bag of giblets (ideas wanted!)
- 1 big pot of chicken Noodle Soup (from breast bones)
- more stock and soup from leftover whole roasted chickens after they are eaten
I only spent about 36 bucks! This is a really economical way to do chicken, and I think with practice, it won't be so daunting (remember, we all had a first oamc! THAT seemed daunting too!) Do you think I am crazy yet? I am just preparing for gardening season, when I will want to be outdoors rather than cooking.
Here's how I would've handled 18 more if I had the room:
- freeze 6 whole
- cut up 6 and freeze by type of piece: breasts, legs/thighs, wings, etc.
- cut up the rest and freeze each as cut up chicken packs (each having two wings, drums, thighs and breasts)
The only reason I did them in sixes was because that was the store limit and a good size to work with. Nothing strange going on here, folks! No satanic chickens here! I kept going back for the chicken and people started to recognize me. They kept saying "Back again?" I thought about going undercover but the baby and the five year old would give me away. Oh well, I guess I'll have to save the "Mission Impossible" theme for the next adventure!
Here are the recipes:
Roast Sticky Chicken (from busycooks)
- 4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large roasting chicken - as big as you can find
- 1 cup chopped onion
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, at 250 degrees for 5 hours (yes, 250 degrees for 5 hours).
After the first hour, baste chicken occasionally (every half hour or so) with pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. If the chicken contains a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. Let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.
Notes: This recipe is a great way to roast a large chicken for planned leftovers. It is reminiscent of those rotisserie-style chickens that are so popular now, and it is very easy to make. The meat comes out very moist and flavorful, so it is as good leftover as freshly cooked. Please try it and you will never roast chicken any other way. You need to start this the night before serving.
Update: This one freezes well; take care because the chicken does start to fall apart, especially the legs and wings. It still tastes fantastic! I froze these in Ziplocs, next time I may freeze in a box type container so it doesn't fall apart. The leftovers were great as soup and chicken salad.
Rosemary Lemon Chicken (Good!)
- 1 5-6 pound roasting chicken
- 2 large lemons
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary (or use dried leaves)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pounds small red potatoes
- 2 packages 9 oz frozen green beans, thawed and drained (I use fresh, sometimes canned)
Prep time: start 3 hours before you want to serve this.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove giblets and neck from chicken, reserve for something else. Rinse chicken, drain and pat dry. Working with chicken breast side up, fold wings toward neck, then fold up and under back of chicken so they stay in place.
Cut lemon in half, squeeze enough juice from one half of lemon to make one tablespoon, cut remaining lemons into large chunks (I have used reconstituted lemon juice and substituted limes for the chunks of lemon with no problem)
Place lemon chunks and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried) inside body cavity of chicken. With string, tie legs and tail together. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of meat between breast and thigh (I don't do this) being careful not to touch thermometer to bone. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack just large enough to hold chicken in large open roasting pan (I just put it in a bigger, metal roasting pan! Metal seems to work better than glass, more juices)
In a cup, mix 2 tbsp frsh minced rosemary (or 2 tsp dried), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. With a pastry brush, brush chicken with mixture.
Cut each potato in half. Place potatoes around rack in roasting pan, drizzle with the 1 tbsp lemon juice and 3 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with 3/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Toss to coat well.
Roast chicken in 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting chicken and potatoes with pan drippings occasionally. When chicken turns golden, cover loosely with a tent of foil.
Add green beans to roasting pan, toss with potatoes. Roast 1 hour longer, basting chicken and veggies occasionally with pan drippings, or until meat thermometer reaches 175 to 180 degrees (I find the times to be pretty reliable; add 15 more minutes if you want to be extra sure). Remove foil during last of roasting and brush chicken again with pan drippings for attractive sheen (this chicken is GORGEOUS!)
To serve, place chicken on large platter, remove string. Arrange potatoes and green beans around chicken. Garnish with rosemary before serving. Makes about 8 servings. 465 calories per serving. From Good Housekeeping Magazine, Sept 1988.
Notes: This chicken is beautiful, easy, and also easy to cook in quantity. If you are going to make one for a special dinner, why not make a bunch? I have not frozen and then thawed this one yet, but I'm guessing it will still be good. Don't know how the potaoes will turn out - we'll see!
Update: they were fine!
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About the Author
Kim Tilley, a tightwad at heart, is a wife, a mother of three active boys and the founding editor of Frugal-Moms.com. Frugal by force and later by choice, Kim cut her income by 60% to stay at with her children and discovered that anyone can live better for less. Her work has appeared in print publications such as The Tightwad Gazette. In her free time, she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something from nothing!
© 2002-2006 Fractured Frugal Friends (F3). All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
