Roasting chicken in the oven or crockpot is not only a frugal meal, but it’s also healthy, and time saving.
I, most always, roast 2 chickens at a time, if you are going to run your oven, it doesn’t take any longer to cook 2 chickens.
First, I clean the chickens, removing any parts in the cavity (lately the ones I have gotten don’t have any) and rinse. I make 4 large balls of foil and place them in the bottom of the roasting pan.
After the chickens are cleaned and rinsed, I brush them with oil and place them in the pan on top of the foil, this allows the chicken to cook evenly and not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Then sprinkle on the seasonings that you like. I add Greek and Italian Seasoning, Parsely Flakes, a little salt and pepper. I also add about 6 chicken bouillon cubes to the bottom of the pan and a little water.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.
There are lots of meals that you can make with the roasted chicken. At least once a month I make Chicken N’ Noodles, serving them with Mashed Potatoes. You can also make Chicken Pot Pie, Quesadillas, Tacos or endless ideas for casseroles.
Any leftover chicken can also be frozen very easily. Just place it in the freezer bag, seal and freeze for another time.
I usually buy frozen chicken at Aldi’s, they are .79 per pound and cost around $4.50. And I can usually get 2 meals from 1 chicken depending on the size. Serving the chicken with potatoes (10 lb bag at Aldi’s is .99 right now) and a veggie (.49 at Aldi’s) makes the meal complete and the total cost will be around $5.00.
This post linked to:
~Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum
~Food on Friday hosted by Ann Kroeker
~Ultimate Recipe Swap hosted by Life As Mom
~$5 Dinner Challenge hosted by $5 Dinners
I love how EASY and budget friendly this meal is. I’ve been putting off buying a whole chicken (I know, what kind of frugalista am I?!), but you have inspired me to try it for real!
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Clutter Emergency Card =-.
@Rachel, Great! I’m so glad I could help. Whole chickens are the easiest meal ever!
Thanks for visiting!
~Liz
Thank you for posting and the tip with the foil is neat – I am going by aldi’s today after the kids get their teeth cleaned.
Tip- Foodlion has whole fryers for .55 lb with card this week.
.-= nancy´s last blog ..adsad =-.
@nancy, Thanks for the FoodLion heads up, we don’t have any in our area, but my readers might.
~Liz
Looks good. I have a chicken I need to cook. Thanks for the reminder.
.-= Lisa@blessedwithgrace´s last blog ..Taking a sick day… =-.
Wow what a fantastic and cheap meal. I can’t believe the potatoes are so cheap. I gotta find an Aldi’s in my area.
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Just a tip (which you probably already know)… the bigger a chicken you buy, the more meat you get and the better the value. It’s better to buy one large one than two small ones.
I just love Aldi. In the future I’ll have to pick up a couple of these chickens!
.-= Jerri´s last blog ..Work at Home Wednesday: Sock Sachets =-.
When I did not have a rack i used foil balls as well. We have a new Aldi opening soon I have never been there. I am so excited to see what it is all about. Whole chickens are so versatile.
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Sweet & Sour Green Beans & A Gooseberry Patch Freebie =-.
@Tina, That’s great, I’m sure you will love Aldi’s! Thanks for visiting!
~Liz
love Aldis for the exact reason you share great food great prices
How perfect is this? It’s time-saving and friendly to the pocketbook–and versatile. While I’m busy writing, I can be roasting multiple chickens! Yay!!
You’re one smart cookie! I also roast multiple chickens at a time — usually four. Summers are too hot in Florida, so we try not to use the oven much. Roasting and freezing is the way to go around here.
.-= Rhonda @ Shellbelle’s Tiki Hut´s last blog ..Elvis Visits the Tiki Hut =-.
I have never heard of putting balled up foil in the bottom! Wouldn’t the chicken just mush it down? How does it help to cook it evenly?
.-= Kelli´s last blog ..Focus Group Contest! =-.
@Kelli, The foil reflects the heat. Not sure the real technical reasoning, but it works for me.
Thanks for visiting!
~Liz
Great ideas for being frugal and eating well! Thanks for reminding me how to make the most of a sale. We don’t have an Aldi’s nearby, but I can get there once a week if I plan it, and I can also watch for sales at Kroger, when whole chickens do go down to a similar price per pound.
Now you’ve got me thinking about chicken ‘n’ noodles….
(Thanks for participating in Food on Fridays!)
.-= Ann Kroeker´s last blog ..Food on Fridays: Tea Station =-.
This is a marvelous idea. I always try to work with a full oven so the energy is not wasted. Have a great day and enjoy Foodie Friday.
.-= Mary´s last blog ..Torpedo Rolls – Foodie Friday =-.
I love to roast my own chickens too – as a matter of fact, I do two at a time as well. I did a post about brining them that you might be interested in. If you have time, stop by and check it out.
http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2009/02/juiciest-oven-roasted-chicken-ever.html
ButterYum
PS – I just recently discovered Aldi – what a great place.
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