Chicken!

We are now home from vacation and we're ready to embark on a new journey! Without too much being said, we are entering a time of life in which we need to start minding our financial "Ps and Qs" even more.

I am quickly finding just how much growing boys can eat. With a husband, three growing boys and God-willing more in the future, I really need to learn how to stretch our food budget all the while trying to obtain good nourishment!

This week I am going to issue a challenge for myself. I have a family pack of split chicken breasts that has been in the freezer for a while. I am going to challenge myself to make as many nutritious meals out of that chicken as possible.

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Now I know that some would say, "Cook it and refreeze it so you won't get burnt out on chicken." but I'm not one of those types. If it goes in the deep freeze, it stays until we clean it out. As hard as I try, I just cannot keep up with what I have in that big ol' thing.

Enter...

Operation 5 1/4 lbs. Chicken Breast Challenge

I used to just bake the chicken with some seasonings and call it dinner, however I need to learn how to stretch it further and bring more vegetables onto our plates.

I will begin the challenge Sunday night. I will be putting chicken into a slow cooker with vegetables and allow the chicken to slow cook - I will be saving the vegetables to make bone broth.

Monday: 2 cups chopped chicken - no broth
Chicken Enchiladas  - with re fried beans and salsa

Tuesday: 4 cups chopped chicken - 4 cups of broth or broth from cooking chicken
White Chicken Chili - with salad and bread (This while make enough for several lunches and LOs)

Wednesday: 1/2 cup chopped chicken - no broth
Chicken Alfredo - with salad

*I will be making the chicken stock out of the bones and vegetables for other meals*

Thursday: 2 cups chopped chicken - 4 cups of chicken stock
Chicken Gnocchi sou- with garlic bread and salad

Friday: 1 cup of chopped chicken - no stock
BBQ Chicken Pizza - fruit and veggie tray

Saturday: 1 cup of chopped chicken - no stock
Chicken Quesadillas - with Spanish rice and chips and salsa

Sunday: 2 quarts chicken stock
CP Baked Potato Soup - with sandwiches

Monday: 1 cup shredded chicken and remaining chicken stock
Chicken and Noodles  - with green beans and mashed potatoes

Tuesday: 1 cup of shredded chicken
Buffalo Chicken Dip - with tortillas, chips and salsa

As I look through these meals, it's really going to be a stretch to get all these meals out of 5.36 lbs of chicken but we're going to give it a whirl! :) If I get all of these meals out of that chicken, I will be stretching one chicken into NINE meals!

Wanna take the challenge with me? Go ahead, try it! :)