The Faithful Crockpot: Part 3

Can you beat this? Feed your family for .79 a pound for your main dish. Currently Kroger has whole chickens for this price. Yes, I sometimes buy the already roasted chickens at the store, but for $3.50 you can have your entire home smell like someone has been there cooking all day when you get home from work. That is often more appealing than an additonal stop at the grocery on your way home. You can expect to get about 4 cups of cooked chicken from 1 whole chicken. A time saver I used for many years while working full time and raising a family was to buy several chickens at a time, wash them all as soon as I got home, rebag them in clean gallon zip bags, and freeze them CLEAN. This way whenever you are fumbling around at 5 a.m. in the morning trying to dress for work and think about dinner simultaneously, you can take out one of your FROZEN chickens and plop it right in the crockpot with some water, white wine if you have it, celery & onion, seasonings, and let it rip. You may not even know early in the morning how you want to use the chicken, but you will be motivated to finish well after a tiring day because your dinner is already started. These days saving here and there can be difference makers. 

Chicken In A Pot

Also, Chicken ‘N’ Gravy,  Chicken ‘N’ Dumplins, or Chicken Casserole*

1 large onion, thinly sliced                                                          ½ cup water, white wine or chicken broth

2 carrots, sliced                                                                           1 tsp. salt                       

2 ribs celery, cut into 1” pieces                                                    ½ tsp. pepper           

1 whole chicken, rinsed & giblets removed                                    ½ tsp. tarragon, opt.

1.     Place carrots, onion & celery in slow cooker. Add whole chicken. Top with salt, pepper, & liquid. Sprinkle tarragon on top.

2.     Cover & cook on low 8-10 hrs. If cooking on high, add 1 cup water & cook for 4-5 hrs.

3.     Remove chicken & vegetables. Save broth, defat, freeze in quart bags for use in soups later.

4.     *Options: Pour defatted broth into saucepan & bring to boil over the stove. Then:

1)     Combine well ¾ cup water & ¼ cup flour. Stir into boiling broth & simmer until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Add chicken & veggies to gravy & serve over cornbread, rice or noodles, OR…

 2) To boiling broth, add: 1 can of refrigerator canned biscuits which have been separated into individual biscuits, rolled out thin, sliced into strips, then drop in boiling broth for 7-10 minutes, until done, OR...

 3) Use chopped chicken in your favorite casserole or soup. Just don't throw out defatted broth. Great to have in freezer.