Part #2 of 3: You can afford Pasture-Raised Chicken to Feed Your Family a Nutritious Dinner

Sunday. A day of rest and quiet time with family. Nothing to worry about… wait, Sunday’s are also the blunt reminder the week is about to begin (ugh). Early mornings, busy days and some late nights running around. I start to frantically meal prep in my mind for the week because I kept putting it off.

But wait…I get a whiff of chicken roasting in the oven… my anxiety subsides because 3 simple, nutritious meals are already getting a head start in the oven.

With one whole chicken, I have a plan to use the entire thing!

What better way to stretch your food dollars! That single, good-quality bird can provide three meals for an average family of mindful eaters. You see, a pasture-raised bird although expensive as it might seem, provides so much more nutrients than a conventional bird. Pasture-raised chickens, allowed to access a natural diet, are higher in omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D as well as Vitamin E than their factory-farmed, counterparts.

A good quality, pasture-raised bird goes a long, long way to not only feeding your family multiple meals but giving them vital nutrients for a healthy future!

You can get a jump start on 3 meals for dinners for the week in just one day of easy preparation!

It’s easy and only takes 1 whole pasture-raised chicken and I am going to show you how!

There are several ways to prepare your whole chicken, and involves absolutely no initial cutting up of the bird.

Although you can easily throw your whole chicken in a slow cooker or insta-pot to cook, I always mess it up so I keep with a more traditional roasting method (recipe included at the end).

Meal #1: Cobb Salad

You’re kids will eat this, I know it! Along bacon, hard boiled eggs, fresh vegetables… this whips up in no time and is so satisfying!

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups breast meat from a FreshORR Family Farms Whole Chicken (one breast should be enough)

1 large head of Romaine, chopped

1/2 Pint grape tomato's, halved

1/2 lb FreshORR Family Farms Bacon, coked and chopped

4 hard-boiled FreshORR Family Farms eggs, halved

2 avocados, chopped

3 scallions, thinly chopped

Salt and pepper

Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

4oz blue cheese, crumbled

1 large clove garlic, chopped

2 Tbs fresh chopped chives

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Buttermilk (for desired consistency)

Salt and pepper

Steps:

While chicken is cooking, prep all the remaining ingredients and begin assembling the salad.

First lay the romaine on a large platter and then begin layering on top of the romaine with the other ingredients (except the scallions) by creating ‘rows’ of each ingredient leaving plenty of room in the middle to pile the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled to the touch, chop it into large bite size pieces and fill in the empty space in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle the entire top with the scallions. 

For Blue Cheese dressing: Mix all ingredients together. The longer the dressing sits the better it tastes. Make it a day ahead if possible.

For Ranch dressing: Eliminate the blue cheese and add 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, 2 Tbs fresh chopped dill, dash of Worcestershire sauce, dash of tabasco.

 Meal #2: Chicken Nacho’s

This is a perfect Tuesday night meal when there is little time between home and an evening activity!

Using the legs and thighs, remove the cooked meat from the whole chicken, discard the skin and shred it up with your hands or chop it up with a knife- we’re not going for perfection here.

With your favorite Taco seasoning, quickly saute your chicken with the season.

Spread a layer of tortilla chips on a parchment-lined backing pan and then distribute the chicken evenly over top. Add some freshly grated cheese of your choice (Sharp Cheddar or Monterrey Jack works well).

Place under the broiler - keep an eye on it - until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with scallions and serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and sliced jalapeno’s.

Dinner is served!

Meal #3: Southwesten White Chicken Chili

This is perfect for the end of the week when you’re tired. Come home, relax and sit down to a dinner ready to eat!

Ingredients:

1 Cup chopped onion

4 Cloves of fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

3, 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

5, 4 oz. cans diced chile peppers

1 breast, cooked and chopped from a FreshORR Family Farms Whole Chicken

4 cups chicken broth (store bought or you can use the whole chicken carcass - cover with water and simmer for several hours)

2 cups freshly shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (8 oz.)

Steps:

In a 3 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker place the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, beans, chiles, broth and cooked chicken. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4-6 hours. Stir in cheese until melted

Ladle the chili into bowls and if desired top with a spoon of sour cream.

Bonus: Roasted Chicken Recipe

Set your oven to 425 degrees, and liberally salt and pepper the entire chicken inside and out.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until breast meat’s internal temperature reads 165 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven.

Once cooled, you can further prepare your meals by removing and cutting up the meat ahead of time or just store the whole bird, covered in the refrigerator until needed.

See! You can feed your family a delicious, pasture-raised chicken in a cost effective way and not sacrifice your favorite part of the chicken! We’d love to help you put dinner on the table tonight - try a whole chicken and see for yourself. Click here to place your chicken order.

I am so excited to see you soon at our Farm-Store! Until then may God be with you and bless you! ~Gina