Because I knew it was going to be a very busy evening, when I ran to HyVee yesterday morning to pick up some items that were on a great sale (for instance, 8 oz. bags of shredded cheese for $1!), I grabbed a rotisserie chicken, on special for $3.99. I figured that would be a simple dinner that my husband could help prepare. I have bags of Lipton Noodle dishes in the cabinet, and cans of veggies, and I baked off a loaf of bread yesterday early afternoon. Dinner done.
If you've purchased a grocery store rotisserie chicken (and I hope you have!), you know how small they generally are. When you're used to the nice-sized ones at Sam's Club or Costco, the grocery store variety are almost laughable. My family decimated that poor little chicken at dinner last night. I did get a little bit in between cookie pickups, but they were all quite hungry!
What remained was just a pitiful little pile of bones with tiny bits of meat attached here and there. Most folks just toss that out with the trash, right? Not here! This afternoon I pulled off quite a bit of the meat, and then I placed the bones in a pan of water and let it come to a boil and then simmer for a couple of hours. I strained the broth into a bowl and removed the rest of the meat from the bones in the pot. For dinner tonight, we're having chicken noodle soup and some homemade bread that's currently baking in the oven.
This is a great meal, especially considering that my son was at the Take Care Clinic this morning with strep throat. He thinks it sounds perfect! And this is an entire meal made from what a lot of people would consider garbage. It's also a very tasty meal! If you've never made broth from a rotisserie chicken, I encourage you to try it - the flavor is amazing, and my entire family can tell the difference when I use a rotisserie bird. It's a definite favorite!
I am adding noodles to the soup, but only about half of a .50 bag. And I'm going to toss in some veggies that are hanging out in the fridge, leftover from previous dinners earlier in the week. It's practically free, and definitely yummy!
Give homemade chicken soup a try. You will probably never feel the same way about the canned stuff again.
Happy New Year! Let's make it the year of lovin' leftovers!!
hmmmm...I almost put soup on my menu plan this week. next week for sure!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good idea! It's been quite some time since I bought a rotisserie chicken, but I do the same thing when I roast a chicken (or chicken pieces) in the oven. There is usually enough meat left on the those bones for soup or chicken and dumplings, and simmering the bones makes the stock rich in calcium. I do the same thing with the carcass from the Thanksgiving turkey.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. I remove the skin and fillet them myself for recipes calling for boneless, skinless breasts. Then I freeze the leftover bones (they usually have a lot of meat left on them) until I get several, then simmer then for the meat and broth. Like you mentioned, most people would throw these out with the garbage, but they make another meal (or two) that's practically free.
That soup sounds yummy! I love doing this when a buy a rotisserie chicken, because you are right..the broth is soooo good! :)
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