The Many Lives of a Baking Hen

A whole chicken is possibly the best value in the super market. People reach for the boneless skinless chicken breasts. But you’re paying a premium for something you can make one, possibly two meals out of.

Why not spend around $5 - $7 to buy a WHOLE chicken instead of paying $3 a pound for part of a chicken?

And you can make nutrient-rich broth with the bones. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to chicken. It’s America’s favorite meat. In the United States we consume 8 Billion chickens. We consume 1 Billion of that at my house!

I promise, promise, promise you if you look at your last few grocery receipts and you replace just half the number of pounds boneless skinless chicken with a whole chicken you will save so much money.

I will give you several ways to use the leftovers from a whole chicken. You can get two or three meals out of each one. Which means you have stretched that $7 really, really far. That sound you hear is Abraham Lincoln asking you to stop squeezing him so hard as you pinch those pennies.

Two Chickens, Seven Meals

I want to show you how you can have a week’s worth of meals out of just two chickens purchased for $.99 a pound at your local supermarket. 

So say each chicken is about four pounds. That is just $4 per chicken.

Monday: Chicken Taco Bowl with Brown Rice, Cheese and Salsa

Tuesday: White Chicken Chili in the Slow Cooker

Wednesday: Cowboy Chicken

Thursday: Not Your Mama’s Mac and Cheese

Friday: Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday: Chicken Tortilla Bake

Sunday: Sunday Chicken Casserole

The total for all of these recipes was around $45 including the cost of two chickens and each recipe included lunch leftovers for the next day.

That breaks down to six servings per meal at around $1.07 per serving.

What are some of your favorite ways to use a whole chicken?

Easy Blue Cheesy Pulled Pork Taco

We love some pulled pork in this house. It really is the other white meat. The Senn family is not afraid of pork. And you shouldn't be either. (Said the granddaughter of a pig farmer.)

Last night I made one of Jason's favorites. My Easy, Blue Cheesy Pulled Pork Tacos. 

They are so easy you will laugh. And so good you will cry. 

What you'll need:

1 2-4 pound pork loin or pork roast and your favorite marinade. 

1 avocado

1/2 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup bbq sauce 

Some warm tortillas

I start by making either this pineapple pork loin in the crock pot or cooking a pork loin or pork roast in the crock pot with 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce. You just cook on low 6-8 hours. 

Once the pork is good and cooked I pulled it apart with a fork. 

Then I warm up some tortillas. Throw your pork onto the tortilla and cover with blue cheese, avocado and BBQ sauce. There is a little sweetness, the creaminess from the avocado and the saltiness from the cheese. 

So good!

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Italian Bread Crumbs

Tip: This is great if you have a few end pieces of bread. I save mine in the freezer until I have enough to make breadcrumbs.

 6-8 pieces of bread, white wheat, store bought, homemade- it doesn’t matter

1 tsp olive oil

Dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, etc.

Drizzle the bread with the olive oil and place in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.

After is has toasted place in your food processor or a plastic bag. Process the bread until it is crumbs, or smash the bread in the bag until the bag is full of crumbs.

Store in a bag or jar in freezer for use.

Panko Bread Crumbs

Tip: This is great if you have a few end pieces of bread. I save mine in the freezer until I have enough to make breadcrumbs

6-8 pieces of bread, white wheat, store bought, homemade- it doesn’t matter

Place bread in the food processor BEFORE you toast. Using the shredding disk let that bread shred to crumbs.

After you have made crumbs spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. 

Sauces at home save cents

Do you love a good sauce? I love pasta sauce, dipping sauces and sauces for my tacos. But I am not about to shell out big bucks for a bottle of fancy sauce to put on a fish taco!

Peanut Sauce

This sweet and spicy sauce is perfect on fish, chicken or beef.
4 tbsp creamy Peanut Butter
4 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Scoop in 4 tbsp peanut butter into a jar, add 4 tbsp hot water, brown sugar and lemon juice and shake (with the lid on of course). It will be the consistency of salad dressing so you will need to refrigerate for 20 - 30 minutes.

Island Sauce

A perfect marinade.

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/4 soy sauce
2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Pineapple Sauce

Perfect for meatball or pork sliders

1 can pineapple, drained
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Drain your pineapple and throw it in your blender of food processor, once good and crushed place in a saucepan. Add your brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Stir together and let simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

Fresh Salsa

Half a red onion
1 tbsp minced Garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
Dried cilantro to taste

Dice your tomatoes and toss them in the blender with garlic, lemon juice and cilantro. Then pour over the onion and chill for about 30 minutes. (I do not care for warm salsa. I know, I know.)

Pico De Gallo

2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
heaping table spoon garlic, minced

Veggie Loaded Pasta Sauce

Five good-sized Roma tomatoes, peeled (refer here)
2 tbsp tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried

pinch kosher salt
1 can tomato paste

2 tbsp white wine

Olive oil

Optional: carrots, spinach any vegetable you can think up. This is a great way to hide vegetables.

In a pan heat up your olive oil and add your onions. Dice those peeled tomatoes and toss them in the pan with you basil let your tomatoes and onions cook for about 10 minutes then add your white wine, tomato paste and sugar. Stir, stir, stir. Then add your garlic and kosher salt and let simmer about 8 minutes.

Effortless Pasta Sauce

2 cans tomato paste
Italian Seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes with juice

Combine paste, Italian Seasoning and canned tomatoes. Whisk it all together. If you like a thinner sauce, add water.

Making mixes for soup, salad dressing and sauces at home

Those seasoning packets for tacos, Italian sauces and salad dressings sure are convenient. But the cost adds up fast. Why would I buy a $1 per packet of taco seasoning when I can make my own for pennies?

One way I save so much is to purchase all of my seasonings and spices at my local dollar store. I can get the large 16-ounce containers for $1 and sometimes $.50 cents.

And since I use seasoning in almost everything I cook it can be a good value. 

Italian Seasoning

This is great for making your own pasta sauces or burgers.

4 tbsp dried basil

4 tbsp dried oregano

4 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix in a small bowl. Place unused contents in a jar and keep in fridge up to 6 months

Taco Season

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp Cumin (or more)

1 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper or garlic pepper

Dump everything in a bowl, mix together and you are done, girl!

Just add to your meat to flavor while you are cooking it.

Dry Ranch Mix

This is perfect for dips or dishes that you want to jazz up with that cool ranch flavor.

1 tsp dried parsley

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp dried thyme

For dressing mix with 1 cup buttermilk and one cup mayonnaise. For dip mix with a carton of sour cream.

Onion Soup Mix

Need the perfect seasoning for a pot roast? Try onion soup mix

2 tbsp beef bouillon, crushed

1 tsp dried onion

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix thoroughly and store in airtight container

For more great ideas visit Romance on a Dime for Take it On Tuesday.