One Chicken, More Than One Supper

It's the kind of practical kitchen habit that makes cooking easier later in the week.

The secret is to decide what you'll do with the chicken before you cook it.

First, Choose Your Chicken

A whole chicken weighing approximately four to five pounds is a useful starting point for this plan.

How many meals it provides depends on the size of your household, how much meat you serve at each meal, and what else goes on the plate.

If you're feeding several adults, you may need a larger bird or additional chicken. The goal isn't to stretch the meat beyond reasonable portions.

Supper One: Cook the Chicken

For a simple roasted chicken:

You'll need:

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 4–5 pounds
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil or softened butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 lemon, optional

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Remove any giblets from the cavity, if present. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Do not rinse raw poultry.
3. Rub the chicken with oil or butter and season the outside and cavity.
4. Place the onion and optional lemon in the cavity without packing tightly.
5. Set the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan.
6. Roast until a food thermometer registers at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and innermost thigh, avoiding bone. A four-to-five-pound chicken often takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, but temperature determines doneness.
7. Let the chicken rest for 10–15 minutes before carving.

Serve with whatever sides you enjoy: greens, rice, potatoes, cabbage, or cornbread.

Before putting away leftovers, remove the remaining meat from the bones.

Supper Two: Give the Leftover Chicken a New Job

The next meal doesn't have to look like the first.

Depending on how much meat remains, try:

Chicken and rice: Combine shredded chicken with cooked rice, sautéed onions, and a little broth.

Chicken and vegetable soup: Add chicken to a pot of broth with carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes.

Chicken sandwiches: Chop the chicken and season it for sandwiches, using refrigerated meat that has been stored safely.

Chicken and dumplings: Add the cooked chicken near the end of preparing a pot of seasoned broth and dumplings so it heats thoroughly without becoming dry.

If you only have a little chicken left, a soup or rice dish is often a better choice than trying to make several large servings of meat.

One More Gift: Homemade Chicken Broth

Don't overlook the bones.

Place the cooked chicken carcass in a large pot with:

• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• Enough water to cover the bones

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for approximately two to three hours.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the bones and cooked vegetables.

Cool the broth quickly using shallow containers or an ice bath, and refrigerate it within two hours. Use within three to four days or freeze for longer storage.

Homemade broth is useful for rice, soups, beans, gravy, and chicken and dumplings.

A Little Planning Makes the Difference

When you're finished cooking, divide what remains into clearly labeled containers.

• Meat for another meal
• Broth for the refrigerator
• Broth for the freezer

Date the containers so you know when they were prepared.

Don't leave the chicken sitting out for hours while deciding what to do with it. Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or within one hour when the surrounding temperature is above 90°F.

Make It Work for Your Table

One chicken won't always feed a family for several days, and that's perfectly fine.

What matters is getting the most useful meals from the food you purchase, without compromising portion sizes or safety.

Sometimes the smartest kitchen habit is simply knowing what to save for tomorrow.

Keep cooking: Browse Heritage Kitchen's chicken recipes, and use the Recipe Scaling Calculator when preparing food for a larger household.