Last week I decided to do an experiment to see how many meals a whole chicken could produce and how much it cost. I rounded up a bit on things like two buns, BBQ sauce, etc. because that is a bit hard to pin point.
The first meal was whole roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and sliced tomatoes.
Whole organic chicken $13.00
Spices, celery and lemon for roasting $1.25
Mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream and chives $1.50
Sliced tomato Free
Made dinner for two
The second meal was BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches with zucchini fries.
BBQ sauce .50 cents
2 buns .50 cents
zucchini 'fries' Free
Made dinner for two
And the last meal was a large pot of my chicken soup with cheese and garlic biscuits.
White norther beans $1.89
All veggies and spices $2.00
Chicken broth Free (made from the chicken carcass)
Cheese and garlic biscuits recipe makes 6 we ate 2 .50 cents
Made dinner for two with 4 large servings of soup left over for the freezer.
So for around $21.00 this produced 5 meals for 2 people. 10 meals total, not bad at all. I understand that this price is lower due to having a stocked pantry with everything needed so I didn't have to go buy spices, etc.
Do you enjoy planning meals with left overs? I can't be the only one that makes extra mashed potatoes so we can have cheesy pan 'fried' potato patties another night.
You know I love planned overs. Love me some potato cakes after having mashed one day. You did good.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheryl. Left over mashed potatoes would never go to waste in our house either.
DeleteAnything left over here usually has to be reformatted. I will do it some, but I usually freeze things to use at a later time because TheHub seems to be allergic to leftovers.
ReplyDeleteI can understand that. TBG used to never want anything left over but now if I can totally change the flavor profile and add a few different things, he enjoys them.
DeleteLove it! and roast chicken is one of my favorite leftovers. I might make some stock and have chicken and dumplings or a chicken casserole or make chicken sandwiches, and your bbq chicken and soup would be delicious. Thankfully my family will eat planned overs and it definitely saves money and time.
ReplyDeleteRoasted chicken is my favorite's too. There are just endless things you can make with it. Chicken pot pie!! That is on my list for the next roasted chicken in a week or two. I make 6 individual pies like my grandmother did. I love pulling a couple out another day when I don't feel like cooking. TBG is great about eating planned overs. He likes variety as much as I do.
DeleteWhat a great ‘experiment’ to see the total amount paid. You really stretched your dollar with that chicken. Besides using leftovers for soup, I can’t think of any planned overs. With the three of us, I try to make enough for the main course to last us two nights and then just change the sides.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to see how much I could get and for what price. Changing the sides makes a big difference, doesn't it?
DeleteI can eat the same thing five nights in a row! I love planned overs. The two of can usually have three nights of the same thing. Often, I use the same protein and one leftover, cooking a third vegetable. Cooking a whole meal every night is beyond my energy level. I can direct Tommy to make another vegetable. He takes instructions well.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a good system that works well for both of you. We enjoy a bit more variety.
DeleteDon't they call that "rubber chicken cooking", i.e. stretching a chicken as far as it can go? I need to get better at using stuff up but I tend to just throw all leftovers into a pot and call it bottom of the fridge soup!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard that term before but now I will always think of it. It's perfect!! I love your bottom of the fridge soup idea.
DeleteI don't do much meal planning any more. I do love buying the rotisserie chickens though because I can get so many meals out of that one chicken
ReplyDeleteA whole chicken does give you a lot of meat and stock too.
DeleteI wish I could save money like that when I cook meals. With my nutrition needs, I have no choice but to pay up the nose.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't help that prices where you are seem to be so ridiculously high compared to where we live.
DeleteI follow the same mantra as you do. Planning is the first step to meal planning. Good idea to roast whole chicken.
ReplyDeleteI totally agreew ith you.
DeleteAlthough I consider myself a frugal cook, I never really plan to use leftovers. Embarrassingly, we end up finishing off most of the dinners I cook. The exception is soup and rice. I usually get a few meals out of soup and make enough rice to add it to soup the next day or make something else using the rice. I think it's a great idea that I should give some thought.
ReplyDeleteI try to keep what needs to be used and by when in the back of my mind and plan our meals around that and what sounds good. Yes, when I make soups, rice or beans there will always be left over to put to good use.
DeleteAlmost every meal I make results in food in the freezer for at least 2 m more meals. I guess I still cook for 4 people after all these years! You can get a lot of milage from a whole roasted chicken!
ReplyDeleteI've heard that from a lot of people. Yes a whole chicken can make many different meals for two or feed a lot of people with one.
DeleteI think a whole chicken is one of the best bargains out there. I will routinely get three meals, plus chicken stock out of it. It was interesting to read how you used yours.
ReplyDeleteHi Pattie. I agree with you on the whole chickens. SO many options, so many meals and stock. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteHot chicken sandwiches are often my go to for night 2 of a whole chicken. I can usually make a pan of chicken fried rice for the 3rd night as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, both are great do over meals from a whole chicken.
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