MAKING THE BIRD SQUAWK

The title of this post came from the response my mother-in-law gave me when I asked her for tips on how to feed a family on a budget. She told me that buying a whole chicken was much more common when she was a young mother and that she was able to use one bird for multiple meals--really "making the bird squawk" as she put it. I remember my mom doing the same thing and I have in turn made a practice of getting as much out of one chicken as I possibly can. 

In our family, one whole chicken can provide us with the makings of three different dinners: one breast and thigh for one meal, the other breast and thigh for another, then the carcass, drumsticks, and meat scraps for chicken noodle soup. That's the better part of three dinners for around $5.00 to $8.00, depending on where you buy your chicken. It doesn't get much cheaper than that! 

Here are some ideas on what to do with a whole chicken, whether cooked at home or purchased pre-cooked from the rotisserie at the store. 

ROAST CHICKEN

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

BAKED BBQ CHICKEN (remove the quarters from a whole raw chicken)

CHICKEN Á LA KING 

AREPAS

FARMHOUSE CHICKEN CHOWDER

CHIMICHANGAS

PAD THAI

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

BROCCOLI CHEESE CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS

CHICKEN CHILE CHEDDAR CHOWDER