How to Stretch a Rotisserie Chicken

Hi friends!  I have a special surprise for you.  I’ve invited my dear friend, Tina, to share practical tips about living frugally, as well as some tasty recipes with all of you.  She’s always cooking up something new and interesting in her kitchen.

Tina has agreed to be a regular writer on the website, so please give her a warm welcome!  I’ll let her take the floor now, as she shares how to stretch a rotisserie chicken for more than one meal.  Enjoy!

How to Stretch a Rotisserie Chicken

Hi! I’m Tina, a mom of six (ages 2-15) and we are a one income family.  I have been working on stretching our food budget for a while, and I prefer to make things from scratch as often as I can.

One thing I almost always do when I go shopping at BJ’s, is buy a rotisserie chicken.  BJ’s prices are the best around for these.  My husband buys the Purdue, but I usually go for the Harvestland, especially if it’s for lunch and the eldest son is in school and husband is at work.  It is a bit less meat, but I like it.

I use this for a lunch or dinner with veggies, salad, and bread.  Then, I save the bones to make my own stock.  I keep some stock from BJ’s on hand as well, because I make a lot of soups and stews and I can’t keep up with demand.

If you’ve never made stock it is very easy.  You just put the bones in a large pot, cover the bones with water and add a few things.  I add a quartered onion, celery leaves (or a couple of stalks), a carrot or two, 5-10 peppercorns, 3-5 whole cloves, garlic, and one or two bay leaves.

If I am out of anything I just make the broth without it, or if I only have crushed cloves, I’ll put some of that in, or garlic powder if I am out of garlic.  Then, I bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for the afternoon.  The longer the better with this.  You can even do it in your slow cooker overnight.

When you are ready to use, or store the stock, you strain out the solids.  This is a flavorful base for soups and is naturally low sodium.  (I add Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt to the soup when I make it.)

This slow-cooked chicken broth is the base of the well loved cold remedy: home-made chicken soup.  It is also wonderful for bone health, as it has lots of vitamins and minerals including calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium.