Inflation - Stretching A Chicken, Re-posted

Note: I decided to re-post this due to inflation and shortages we are all currently facing. Please check out my other posts for more great ideas for saving money and making the most out of the food we buy.

We haven't been able to grill at all lately due to the weather and when I say "we" I mean Number One. He does all the grilling at our home. I do most of the prep work and all of the clean-up. I laid out a whole chicken to thaw a few days ago and this was the first day Number One was able to fire up the grill.

I cut the chicken into three sections. I used the back and giblet portions with some veggies that I really needed to use up to make a rich broth. Number One grilled the rest with a few potatoes and a couple of hamburger patties.

When the chicken came off the grill I felt like a cave woman eating that delicious chicken. I used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper to season the chicken.

To make the broth, I boiled the chicken pieces (that were not grilled0 with the veggies that needed to be used up for about an hour. (snow peas, carrots and onions). I seasoned the broth with salt, pepper and bay leaves.

Once the chicken and vegetables had cooked for a while, I strained the broth, picked the bones clean and added the meat back into the broth. I made some homemade egg noodles, dropped them into the broth and continued cooking for an additional forty minutes.

The dogs and I ate the vegetables...

Egg noodles: 1 c flour, 1 egg, pinch of salt and enough water to
make a stiff dough.

Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.

I use a pizza cutter to cut the noodles.

Drop into boiling broth a few at a time to keep the noodles
from sticking together.

Cook until noodles are done.

Enjoy...

While I enjoyed my cup of coffee this morning on the porch I decided to stretch that chicken a little more, so I made Smoked Chicken Enchiladas. I frequently change the ingredients of this recipe depending on what I have on hand. This time I used corn tortillas instead of flour, cheddar cheese and jalapenos instead of pepper jack. You can also freeze these with or without baking. They freeze wonderfully.

I used some of the smoked meat from the chicken Number One grilled yesterday to make these yummy enchiladas. I like to buy whole chickens because you can make so many different meals from just one. I still have a large breast and wing to put into a pasta salad. 

Ingredients: Chopped smoked chicken, chopped jalapenos
24 oz sour cream, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, tortillas and 2 cups
shredded cheese.

Add all ingredients(except tortillas and cheese) into a pot,
heat on medium until hot.

Fill tortillas with mixture, add some cheese and roll. You will use about
half of the chicken mixture and cheese on the top of the enchiladas, so plan accordingly.

I rolled eleven, that's all that would fit in my pan.

Spread the rest of the chicken mixture and cheese on top of tortillas
and garnish with jalapenos. Bake at 350* until cheese begins to brown.

While I was preparing the enchiladas, I also decided to make a Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad. Simple and easy to make. If I can't get a box of Suddenly Salad at the Dollar store for $1, I just boil some pasta(drain and rinse), add spices (your choice) to a cup of mayonnaise, chop some chicken and veggies, throw everything in a large bowl and viola!

Now that's a lot of different meals with a lot of servings in each meal. I know that chicken went a long way to feed us this week. If you have more ways to stretch a chicken, won't you please share them here?