One of the tricks to successfully keeping weekly food costs down is to base your meals around a combination of what you already have on hand with what happens to be on sale that week at the supermarket. Much of the time I rely on lentils, beans, and TVP as our protein source.  They’re cheap and shelf stable to boot.  But, if I don’t serve actual meat every once in a while the family tends to revolt.

This week I was able to find chicken leg quarters on sale for 49 cents per pound. Allowing me to buy 10 pounds (about 8 individual quarters) for just about $5.

First I trimmed excess skin and fat off of the pieces.  Then I tossed them in a 400 degree oven and baked them until done, allowed them to cool on the counter-top, and then spent about 20 minutes or so removing all of the usable meat from the bone, fat, skin, and gristle. The easiest (although it is messy) way to do this is by hand.

I wish I had paused to measure out how much usable meat I obtained, but it was at least 8 cups.

You can use this meat immediately or you can measure it out into 1 or 2 cup portions and freeze it for later use.  Since I made up a batch of garlic tomato sauce (with a plan to make Kushari before I ran out of steam) earlier in the day, I decided to make a simple version of chicken and rice.  I mixed all of the chicken with 10 cups of sauce and a bag of frozen peas. It will feed us twice, served over rice, and leave me with plenty in the way of leftovers to make some more empanadas (though I might add some shredded cheddar cheese to help it bind together).

But, this roasted chicken meat can also be used for any purpose you desire:

• make chicken salad for sandwiches or to stuff pitas
• add it to macaroni and cheese
• use it, in place of our vegetarian filling, to make deconstructed tacos
• add it to baked ziti instead of ground beef or chopped sausage
• mix it up with some sauteed mushrooms and gravy and serve over egg noodles
• buy (or make) pizza dough and make calzones
• buy some tortillas and make burritos or soft tacos
• you can make chicken fried rice
• the possibilities are pretty endless

Of course, you can roast them, seasoned liberally with whatever herbs and spices you prefer, and eat them “as is”. Served with a baked potato and one or two vegetable sides you have a complete meal.  Separating the thigh and leg portion is generally easier to do after cooking than before.

You can even make your chicken work double duty and boil them (add some onion, garlic, carrots, etc to the pot as well) instead of roasting them.  The result?  Chicken stock (you will have to strain the liquid, preferably through cheesecloth) that can be used as a base for soup and will freeze wonderfully.

Have you ever make chicken quarters?  What’s your favorite way to serve them?

Blessings

Jia

image thanks to audrey083053

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