As promised, I am here today to share with you some easy ways to cook your whole chicken. Buying a whole chicken is one of the most cost-effective ways to get more nutrition for your money.

#1 ROASTED CHICKEN - The easiest thing to do – is roast the whole chicken. Here is my favorite way:

Adapted from Laura Calder’s Butter Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

 BUTTER ROASTED CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 3 pounds
• Sprig fresh rosemary
• Sprig fresh thyme
• Few sprigs fresh tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup

 Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff the chicken with the herbs and truss it. Season all over with salt and pepper. Set the chicken in a roasting pan (or cast iron skillet) on its left leg, and set the butter on top. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the bird onto its right leg for 15 minutes. Turn on its back for 15 minutes. Finally, set it upright and continue cooking until done, about 1/2 an hour more or until the juices run clear. Remember to baste the bird constantly as it roasts. It is done when the juices at the leg run clear.

 

#2 LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH – forget about deli meat that is full of nitrates and other mystery ingredients, use the rest of that delicious protein for lunch in sandwiches or a salad the next day. The only thing limiting you here is your imagination!

#3 USE THE CARCASS TO MAKE BROTH – this part is so incredibly easy; you won’t believe it. There is still so much nutrition left for that chicken to give after it’s been roasted, and the meat picked off the bones. Toss it in the crockpot with just a few more ingredients and you’ve created a super delicious and nutritious bone broth that would make anyone feel better on a bad day.

 CHICKEN BONE BROTH

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs of chicken bones (from 2 chickens), roasted
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 medium onion, halved
2 ribs of celery, cut into chunks, with leaves attached
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 bay leaf, optional
Filtered Water (6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 cups)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in your crockpot and set it to Low. I do not bother peeling the onions or the carrots because there is a lot of nutrition in the skin. I usually let mine cook for about 24hrs, but you could do as little as 15. Strain off the vegetables through a strainer. If you want the broth to be very clear, then run it through a strainer with some cheesecloth in it. You can put it into quart jars and freeze it (it will last several months this way) or put it in the fridge and consume it within a week.

#4 CUT UP THE CHICKEN AND SEPARATE THE PIECES OUT TO MAKE MULTIPLE MEALS - Check out my YouTube video here to learn the easiest way to cut up that whole chicken…

and then…you can make….

#5 FRIED CHICKEN!!!!!!! I must tell you a secret. I do not know how to make fried chicken. Don’t judge me. Fried chicken seems like such a process, and the mess – whew, that I haven’t taken the time to master it. Maybe you could share your favorite recipe with me and change my mind, just like I’ve changed yours about buying a whole chicken.