How to Stretch a Chicken a Mile-and-a-Half

Awhile back, we were given several bags of chicken parts for free and they have sat in our freezer for some time. We normally buy and use de-boned chicken breasts because it’s easier and quicker. But we decided that it was time to do something with our bags of chicken, especially since I am studying about processing meat for school.



One of our 10-pound bags of chicken leg quarters.



First I took the bag out of the freezer and thawed it in the fridge. After a few days, I cut it open (over the sink) and then washed all of the pieces and laid them on a platter. Then I began the work of skinning the chicken pieces. I used kitchen shears to cut off the skin.

I placed the skins into a large pot, covered them with water, and boiled them with a bay leaf and especia (a Puerto Rican version of pesto). Meanwhile, I put about half of the chicken into our crock pot, along with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of especia and cooked it on high for about 6 hours. The remaining 6 chicken legs were wrapped in saran wrap and put away for another day.

Once my skins and broth had simmered for about an hour, I let it cool. I strained out the skins and froze the broth in ice cube trays.

Then I placed the skins in a Tupperware container in the fridge to give to the dog as an occasional treat. He LOVES them!

Later that evening, I took the chicken out of the crock pot, cooled it, and put it in a Tupperware container to deal with tomorrow.

The next day. . .

I removed the frozen cubes of broth from the ice cube trays and put them in a freezer bag. Now we can have chicken broth without added salt or MSG!



From the back, Left to right: Dog treats (chicken skins); shredded, cooked chicken; frozen cubes of chicken broth; and individually wrapped chicken leg quarters.



I then de-boned the cooked chicken from last night and put it into a Ziploc bag to use later in the week. But, I just couldn’t wait that long! J So I created my own little recipe for a hot chicken sandwich:

Chicken Sandwich

1-2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ a Tablespoon of minced garlic

¼ Cup of Shredded Chicken

1 teaspoon of oregano

Dash of onion salt (garlic salt might be good, but I can’t use it because of the sugar content)

Dash of pepper

2 Tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 thick slice of whole wheat bread, toasted

Butter (optional)

Heat oil in a small skillet. Add minced garlic and heat until bubbling. Add chicken and heat through. Add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cheese on top and heat until melted. Top toasted slice of homemade, whole wheat bread with butter and chicken. Enjoy while hot!

And that is how we used our chicken! We didn’t waste one bit of it. Now I only have 2 more bags to go. . .