Buying Smart - Rotisserie Chicken

 This month we are focusing on meal planning. There are a lot of tips when it comes to meal planning and one of them is to buy smart. Rotisserie Chicken is a great buy when meal planning and prepping. I find a way to use the whole chicken every time and it goes pretty well and pretty quick. I start by deskinning the chicken as best I can. And then I pull it apart. Not only do I remove it from the bone but I pull it into strips right away while I am there. I have three different piles, meat (you can divide these further into white and dark meat if you want), skin, and bones (I also include any fat bits that will not be eaten).

*** Keep in mind you don't have to buy Rotisserie chicken you can make a whole chicken yourself if you want to!**

The skins I keep for salads. I crisp them up in a frying pan and crumble them over salad kind of like bacon bits. Or you can add them to a sandwich to give them a little crunch!

The bones I use in a stock. So you can do just a simple stock with the bones and water. Let it boil for as long as you can. You will see the broth change to a beautiful colour, that's when you know it is ready. You will probably have to add some flavoring like salt, pepper, Bouillon even. But that's a personal preference. You can also add the peels from carrots, ends from other vegetables like onions, celery, garlic, things like that. Once it is done boiling you want to strain it really well making sure to get all the bones and anything else out of the liquid. Then it is ready to go. This would make a great soup, gravy, sauce, etc.

Now for the actual chicken. There are so many amazing chicken recipes out there you can make, Chicken Curry, Chicken Cordon Bleu, those are great if you like them and really want to go all out. But when meal planning for your average week, think simple. A nice Chicken Noodle Soup (using the broth and some chicken), Chicken Sandwiches (Club Sandwiches, Chicken Wraps), or a salad even with just some chicken in it. Those things are quick and easy to do, and all you have to do is reheat the chicken. Other great options are Chicken Fettachini, or Chicken and Pesto. It's simply using premade sauces and adding it to pasta, reheating the chicken, and serving.