Thrifty Thursdays - Whole Roasted Chickens Provide Multiple Meals

For this week's Thrifty Thursday, let's talk about chicken....

We eat a lot of chicken. I'm always hoping to see a good sale pop up in the weekly sales ads. This week, I found whole chickens on sale for 59 cents a pound. For under $12.00, I was able to buy 10 lbs of chicken. Granted, that ten pounds is not all chicken but I will get enough off of it for 4 meals....and I hear that you can cook up some great chicken stock if you cook the carcasses. I cannot bring myself to cook the bones and other parts to make broth. The thought is revolting to me so I do lose out a bit on that.

It seems that everyone has their favorite way to roast a chicken. My way is simple: rinse the bird inside and out and then pat dry with some paper towels. I rub a little butter under the skin of the chicken and then all over the top and sides of it. Then I sprinkle it with garlic powder, poultry seasoning and onion powder. Pop it into a baking dish and bake at 375* for 1 1/2 -2 1/2 hrs -depending on the size of the chickens.



MMM! Crispy on the outside, yet very moist on the inside.

The 4 meals that I will be making are:

Chicken and Noodles - tonight's dinner
Chicken Tacos
Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Barley Soup

After picking every last bit of chicken from the bones, I mixed the white meat and dark meat together and then divided them among three freezer bags.

I hope that you've had a wonderful, thrifty week. Check out Amanda's Cookin' for more thrifty ideas.

All Day Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese

My daughter LOVES mac 'n cheese. Since I've been cooking some dishes lately that have certainly not been here favorites, I decided to cook mac 'n cheese for her to make her really happy.

If you follow the directions to this recipe, you will end up with a delicious meal. Even my husband, who is VERY picky about mac 'n cheese, really liked it.

Here is what it looks like in the crock once it has finished cooking


One tip that I will add before you get started.... Make sure to undercook the macaroni before you add it to the crockpot, otherwise I believe that you would end up with mushy macaroni.

All Day Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz cooked and drained Pasta - Elbows are classic, but you can use anything.
4 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 C Milk - I used powdered skim milk that had been reconstituted into 11/2 C. of milk
2 Eggs
2 TBS Flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Spray crockpot with nonstick spray.

Mix everything together and pour into crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours**-Do not stir, it will cook and firm up.

I found this crockpot mac 'n cheese recipe on a blog called Frugal Upstate. I don't know the owner, Jen, personally but her blog is really nice.

**notes**

This recipe cooked for 5 hours and was completely done. I haven't tried leaving on longer but I don't think that I would leave it for more than 6 hours without being afraid that it would be overcooked.

I used regular cheddar cheese in this recipe. I'm using sharp cheddar next time for more flavor. I also add 1 tsp of red pepper to it. I don't think that it made a difference so I will leave it out next time.


I served this with broiled Talapia fillets and a side of green beans.


Broiled Citrus Talapia

6 - 8 Talapia fillets, thawed if frozen
Citrus Seasoning
butter flavored baking spray
lemon juice

Turn on broiler. Spray a baking sheet with butter flavored baking spray.

Rinse and pat dry the Talapia fillets and then lay them on the baking tray. Lightly spray the tops of the fillets with baking spray. Sprinkle liberally with citrus seasoning. Flip fish over and sprinkle again with the citrus seasoning. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Broil for 5 -8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

We like an extra sprinkle of lemon juice on our fish before eating it.


I'm happy to report that everyone in my family really enjoyed this meal.

Fried Pickles

My family and I never knew what fried pickles were before moving to North Carolina. Here, it seems, they like to deep fry everything. Some things are really good, while others are a bit out there.

In this case, if you like dill pickles, these deep fried nuggets are a tasty treat. Depending on who is making them, the pickles might be coated in a batter coating (think fish batter) or they might be coated in a cornmeal and flour mix. We prefer the crispy cornmeal and flour breading.


They are really easy to make at home and it's much cheaper, too. The price of one appetizer of fried pickles in a restaurant usually costs $5. - $7.

Fried Pickles

2 C. of dill pickle chips, drained well on paper towels
1 C. flour
1/2 C. corn meal
1 tsp. creole seasoning (optional but it adds a nice kick)
1/2 tsp. Hot Shot pepper (red and black pepper) - if you
don't want the spice, use all black pepper
1/2 C. milk or buttermilk
1 gallon-sized plastic bag

Lay pickles on layers of paper towels to drain.

Heat your deep fryer to 400*

Pour the milk or buttermilk into a small bowl. I used milk with this batch and it worked out fine. I'm going to try buttermilk for a thicker coating the next time that I make them.

Mix the flour, corn meal, and seasonings in the plastic bag.

Working with a few pickles at a time, dip them into the milk and then add them to the flour mixture. Shake well to completely cover the pickles.

Remove the coated pickles from the bag and drop them into the deep fryer basket. Deep fry for 1-2 minutes or until light brown and crispy. Drain well in a single layer on paper towels before serving.

Serve with a side of tangy ranch dressing.


Tangy Ranch Dressing

1/4 C. of your favorite ranch dressing
1 - 2 tsp of Frank's Red Hot hot sauce

Mix together right before serving.

**note** The white specks that you see on the pickles in these pictures as a result of using white cornmeal. That's what I had on hand so that's what I used.

Kids Bake! Watermelon Poke Cupcakes

Watermelon recipes remind me of the sweet tastes of summer. Whether it's for a picnic, birthday or just a family barbecue, these watermelon poke cupcakes are easy for kids to make and look fabulous on your cookout table!


What You Need

1 box white cake mix
1 C. boiling water
1 small box of watermelon Jell-O -- or any red Jell-O
1 - 8oz container of Cool Whip, thawed
red & green liquid food coloring
mini chocolate chips

Getting Ready

Cover table with a plastic table cloth, or even an old shower curtain.

Gather supplies and have everything ready at the work table and within reach.

Make sure that children use pot holders and have some handy wipes or a sink nearby to
wash hands.

Now you are ready to start making watermelon poke cupcakes...


What You Do

Mix cupcakes and bake as directed on box, using cupcake liners. Cool cupcakes.

Stir boiling water into powdered Jell-O until dissolved. Pierce tops of cupcakes several times
with a meat fork or straw. Spoon Jell-O over cupcakes, making sure that the liquid is going
down into the holes. Refrigerate 30 min. Remove from pans.

Tint Cool Whip with red and green food coloring. Using plastic baggies to hold the whipped
topping, pipe a green circle around the outside rim of each cupcake. Fill in the middle with
pink whipped topping. Add mini chocolate chips to represent watermelon seeds.

Store in refrigerator. These cupcakes taste best if eaten the same day as they are made.

Linking up to:

Cupcake Tuesdays @ Hoosier Homemade


Gooseberry Patch Kids Recipe Round Up

Chicken & Peppers Pasta

Here's a hearty, delicious meal that takes just a few minutes to stir together.

I created this chicken dish out of using what I had in the frig. and not wanting to run to the store for anything. All of the flavors blend together so well. Everyone enjoyed it --even my daughter- who claims to hate tomatoes and tomato sauce.


Chicken & Peppers Pasta
1 - 2 lbs of pasta --I used Barilla Rigatoni
3 boneless chicken breasts,
cubed into medium-sized pieces
2 large green peppers, sliced into thin strips
2 small cans of mushrooms, drained well
fresh thyme
minced garlic
red pepper flakes
Italian seasoning
olive oil
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can of mild Rotel tomatoes

Cook pasta. Drain well and keep warm.

At the same time...

Into a large frying pan, add 1/3 C. olive oil, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves pulled from stems), 2 tsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tsp. Italian seasonings and cubed chicken. Cooked over medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink - do not brown chicken. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Cover and keep warm.

Into the same frying pan, add 3 TBSP of olive oil, green peppers and mushrooms. Stir frequently, cooking over medium heat until peppers begin to soften. Stir chicken mixture back into the pan of peppers and mushrooms. Stir in Rotel tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Mix well. Cook until warmed through.

Ladle sauce over warm pasta.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Makes a great casserole the next day. Stir together remaining sauce and pasta. Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes @ 350*.