David and I’ve always watched for sales on anything we purchase including groceries. This week at Kroger’s I picked up a frozen bag of Leg Quarters which I hadn’t bought in a while because the 5-pound bag was marked down from %8 to $5 and I know we could get multiple meals out of one bag. thing I have learned over the years is that sometimes the best grocery purchases are not the expensive ones. Sometimes it is the markdown finds that end up feeding everybody for days.
As a mom and ex-grocery store employee I know prices and when things are a good price or not. a recent trip to Kroger. Even though David had thought I had lost my mind I purchased the bag of Heritage Farm natural bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters for dinner. Around here, that kind of deal can stretch into several meals if you plan it right.
Or at least halfway plan it right. Because every time I think I know exactly what we’re making, somebody changes the menu along the way. I usually split the leg quarters apart into thighs and drumsticks before cooking because it gives us more flexibility for different meals, but this time David cooked them whole.
Honestly, it worked out perfectly because the chicken turned out so tender it was practically falling off the bone. In the bag was 9 to 10 pieces of Chicken which if they had been divided would have given us Chicken for days and even though it wasn’t split, we were still able to have 2 meals from this bag of chikcen
We started with homemade chicken salad, which is one of those easy meals that always reminds me of growing up. It is simple, filling, and stretches a little chicken a long way. After that, the leftovers became stovetop panko chicken using Aldi breadcrumbs, paired with four-cheese Cheetos MacN’ Cheese for a quick comfort-food dinner.
But that is the thing about a big bag of chicken like this. One meal can easily become three or four different ideas. Just ask Gerald and I as we discussed multiple ways to cook the chicken and now that David and Gerald have seen how easy it to cook, they want to get another back or two of the chicken.
If you haven’t purchased a bag of chicken like this you should because you can make chicken and rice, chicken and noodles, barbecue chicken, fried chicken, wraps like the old McDonald’s chicken wraps, soups, sandwiches, or just pull the meat off the bone and keep building meals from there. Around here, we are always trying to make groceries stretch without feeling repetitive, and chicken like this makes that possible.
Normally, when I make chicken salad for David and me, I use Sweet Sue’s canned chicken because it is quick and easy. But Gerald has never really liked canned chicken, and honestly, we both grew up eating chicken cooked like this anyway which tastes homemade because it is homemade, and it usually gives us more food in the long run.
This ended up being one of those cook-once, eat-for-days meals that reminds me why I still love simple family cooking. Nothing fancy. Just good food, different ideas, and making the most out of one affordable grocery find. This chicken is #budgeftiendly #cookonceeattwice #kidfriendlymomapproved meals.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
