3 Easy Ways to Make Your Whole Chicken Stretch Further

I don’t know many people that enjoy grocery shopping. The grocery store is always hectic, everyone is pushing around you and making you feel like you’re in the way. And if you have the kids in tow—forget it. You’re just trying to get the basic essentials and get to the checkout line before there’s a meltdown.

You throw your things on the checkout belt as fast as you can, load your bags into the cart as fast as you can, and dash out to find your car (what row did I park in??).

The grocery store experience is usually exhausting and stressful.

The Farm57 experience is relaxed and peaceful. The kids can run around and play while we help you load your car with your fresh meat chicken, eggs, and garden produce. No one is beeping at you or pushing you. You’ll hear the robins singing their songs and enjoy some peace and quiet.

This peaceful, healthy, environment directly translates to the quality, and quantity, of our chicken.

Our chicken automatically stretches further than grocery store chicken because it’s all meat. Ever notice how much (chlorine) water and “chicken gunk” is in your skillet when you cook a grocery store chicken? Ever notice how much the meat shrinks once it’s cooked and you wonder, “Where did it all go?”

This cooking loss is also directly related to money loss. ::sad face::

Here’s how we “stretch” one chicken to get multiple meals:

1. We usually eat half a chicken for dinner.

That’s for Joel and I, and our two toddlers. I think our son alone may eat for two toddlers, ha! I have done a lot of our chickens in the oven, but it’s been so hot and humid lately I haven’t even looked at our oven. It’s time to bring out your crock pot! All you need is one onion and a Farm57 chicken. Simply place a chopped onion in the bottom of your crock pot, and put your seasoned chicken on top of the onion. Don’t add any water or broth. Set your crock pot to low for 5-6 hours, until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

2. Shred the other half.

You can put it in the fridge for chicken salads, chicken tacos, the options are endless! You’ll have shredded chicken on hand for whatever you can come up with, or you can freeze it for later. And if you do the crock pot method from above, the chicken will fall off the bone for you. Easy peasy!

3. Make bone broth.

Don’t throw away those bones! Depending on what seasonings you used for your crock pot chicken, you can choose to put the bones back into the drippings, or put the bones in a fresh pot. For now, let’s just use the crock pot. Return the bones to the crock pot with the drippings, and add chunks of carrot and celery, and a bay leaf (if desired). Add a little bit of water so that the bones are half covered. Cook low and slow for a few hours and then strain.

There you have it! ONE time of cooking, but 2-3 times of enjoyment.

Now it’s your turn! What’s your favorite way to prepare chicken? Let us know in the comments below!