Freezing Rotisserie Chicken For Meal Planning
Freezing Rotisserie Chicken For Meal Planning
Monthly meal planning is a game changer for mamas who are busy, face chronic illness, homeschooling, or even just moms who like to be prepared in advance!
For ease in creating last-minute or future freezer meals, create a habit of picking up Rotisserie chickens from Costco.
They seem larger than many stores, and the price can’t be beaten at 4.99 per chicken. Thinking for future meal planning, pick up two.
Shred as much meat as possible and set aside the bones. (If you have a stand Kitchenaid mixer, it works SO quickly at shredding chicken!)
Spending about 1/2 hour in the kitchen will yield approximately 10 cups of shredded white meat chicken. Juicy, already flavorful, and most importantly, already cooked.
Does rotisserie meat freeze well?
Definitely!
And, to save even more towards the grocery budget, put all of the carcass and juice from the bottom of the package into the crockpot. Make your own stock!
Add carrot, celery, bay leaf, and whatever seasonings you have. Turn it on low for 6+ hours, or just about 3 on high.
There is no exact science here, just when the broth is flavorful and bubbling, it’s done. (check out Frugal Money Saver for more ideas on zero food waste)
Cool for a few hours, drain the liquid and toss the solids. Pour 2 cups of cooled broth into quart size bags and you’ll wind up with about 8 cups of chicken broth as well.
While the broth is cooking, here are a few ideas for meal planning and even ways to share!
How to Do a Freezer Inventory Printable
10 cups of chicken and 8 cups of broth are definitely worth the time investment (very little) and provide the base for many meals!
For example, this month our family will have Cinnamon Chicken Salad, Stir Fry, Tacos, and Pot Pie. I could also decide last-minute to make Chicken and Dumplings or Chicken and Rice soup in a pinch!
If you are just visiting looking for meal planning today, may I invite you to stay awhile and check out all the other categories designed to encourage you in your life?
Welcome. (you can meet me over here!)
Meal planning resources you might enjoy:
- Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity
- Weekly Meal Planner – Grocery List Magnetic Notepads
- Seriously Good Freezer Meals: 150 Easy Recipes to Save Your Time, Money and Sanity
- Stress-Free Family Meal Planning: Easy, Healthy Recipes for Busy Homes
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What a great idea! I think you fared well with your purchase. Maybe I should pick up more at Kroger when they mark them down.
Joyfully,
Jackie
My Attempt at Blogging
That is a great plan, I didn’t know they marked them down?
The Kroger where I live marks down the ready-to-eat chicken all the time–about $2.99. I pick them up and freeze them. Sometimes I bone them to make a chicken salad. They also mark down the milk quite often. I get the skim and freeze it. It works out just fine. I freeze the others, too, but some might not like them as much due the fat not freezing as well. I just love your idea of making broth! I had never even considered it. Thanks, again!
Joyfully,
Jackie
My Attempt at Blogging
Thanks! That is a smokin’ deal for chicken! I have never tried to freeze milk, but I like the idea. We get fat free always…sometimes it is actually on sale and I know will pick some up. Do you open it first to let some out (and a small amount of expansion room) or just as is?
I freeze it as is and it works great. I try to stand it up in the freezer, but sometimes lay it down and never have problems.
If anyone freezes the other (higher fat content) just be sure to shake well to try to remix it. Guess you could strain out the fat and use the other as fat free. Would work great in baking too.
Sometimes I get the marked down milk between 75-89 cents for a half gallon and $1.99 for a gallon. My family is a huge milk drinking family (husband and daughter). I live out in the country and the small town milk is way too expensive, so I buy a couple of gallons when I’m in town and ALWAYS buy the marked down milk so I have some on hand when I’m out.
Joyfully,
Jackie
Christa,
What great ideas. And then in your comments are tucked even more. Thanks.
I just picked up my first ever Costco rotisserie chicken tonight. Great idea, thanks. I’m looking for ways to simplify dinnertime.
Thanks for taking a look Julie, if you need more ideas, check out my post from this week about Simplifying dinner.