How to use up a whole 5.5 lb chicken

[emilys_mom1]

I have a 5 lb chicken in the oven how. I'm wondering how I can use up the whole thing. I would like to make a few meals for the freezer. Here are my only 3 ideas:

chicken and potatoes tonight
chicken soup
chicken enchilades

How else should I use it up. I don't mind heading to the grocery store to pick up a few things if needed. I have very picky eaters, so simple things they might eat would be great.

[witchygrrl]

chicken salad?

[Alyantavid]

Quesadillas.

I'd chop alot of the meat up and put it in the freezer for future use. And of course make a soup out of the carcass.

[Shane]

Definately what Alyantavid said about saving some for future meals. I like to freeze them in small portions so that say you want a salad for lunch with some chicken on top. You can just get out one bag and not worry about having to use more than what you need.

I like the carcass for soup idea. I'm so green when it comes to making soup.

[motheringforme]

chicken casserole: layer chicken and brown rice, cream of chicken, cream of celery, sour cream, herb seasoned stuffing mix. Bake in the oven.

[Teenytoona]

I reckon it wouldn't take long in our house to eat. :

[kriket]

n' dumplings is my favourite thing to do with a chicken carcass.

It takes DH and I about 3 meals to eat a chicken.

Breasts one night
shredded thighs and legs in something one night
Carcass meat and wings in dumplings the 3rd night

I also very rarely cook the whole thing at once. I usually take off the breasts, leg quarters, make dumpling stock to freeze/fridge out of the carcass and freeze fridge the parts. Freeze/fridge depending on when I have a meal for the part planned.

[CathToria]

I'd also just schop it up and freese it as just chicken. I used to freeze full pasta or fice casseroles, but I found that I was fillin gmy freezer with so much stuff that is easy to cook as needed. Having cooked chicken woudl take up less room, and woudl still make it easy to get a full meal onto teh table quickly. HTH

[emilys_mom1]

Looks like I will only get 3 meals out of it. I guess with 5 of us in the house, although 3 of us are kids under 7, it will not take long to eat. We had chicken and rice for dinner. I"m boilining the carcas now for chicken n rice soup. I put a small bag (sandwich bag) in the freezer for somthing this weekend. I sure was hoping to get more meals out of it. I guess I need to cook a bigger bird next time.

[kriket]

oh, I forgot, speaking of stretching for more then a couple meals. I will take the tenderloins out and do something with them to take to work for lunch, so I guess DH and I get 3.5 meals out of a chicken I couldn't imagine streching more then 3 meals, especially with 5 people to feed! I know sometimes you have to tho. It does make you feel good when you can get a bunch of meals out of a $3 or $4 bird :

[onlyzombiecat]

chicken noodle casserole
chicken tacos or burrito
chicken noodle soup
chicken pizza
bbq chicken sandwiches
tortilla soup
chicken pot pie
stir fry
egg rolls
chicken a la king
chicken alfredo

http://www.leftoverchicken.com/
http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=39155

[Kaitnbugsmom]

I would broil/roast part of it and use that for chili, stew and salad topping
Use another section diced up for tacos, pot pies and omlets [sounds gross but not too bad really]
Shredded and bbq'd for sandwiches or as a topping on potatoes

[kriket]

Originally Posted by Kaitnbugsmom

and omlets [sounds gross but not too bad really]

salmon omelettes, They sound gross, but their isn't anything more tasty :

[KaraBoo]

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat

chicken noodle casserole
chicken tacos or burrito
chicken noodle soup
chicken pizza
bbq chicken sandwiches
tortilla soup
chicken pot pie
stir fry
egg rolls
chicken a la king
chicken alfredo

http://www.leftoverchicken.com/
http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=39155

Great ideas, as usual zombiecat

When I make a chicken, I usually get more than 3 meals out of it. First, we eat roasted chicken the first night (der. LOL). I make broth with the carcass and freeze. I make chicken salad the next day (celery, apple, walnuts, chicken with a bit of mayo and seasonings) and dd likes to eat just plain chicken leftovers. Then I make a pot pie and that gives us 3 meals right there or more if we eat a bit of the pot pie with another side. And you don't have to put a lot of chicken in the pot pie cuz it has veggies to make up the difference. Then, whatever is left goes into a soup with tortellini, bok choy and carrots usually. And that soup gives us 3 or 4 meals, depending on what we eat with it.

Just think about ways to make the leftover chicken not the big main part of the leftover meal. I'm sure you'll get more meals that way. Good luck!