2 Chickens = 12 Meals for 2 People

Pamela Patch Cantrell, Ph.D.

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Copyright © 2022 by Pamela Patch Cantrell

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 Table of Contents

Introduction............................................................................................................................ 5
Cutting the Chickens ............................................................................................................... 5
Breast Meat Recipes ............................................................................................................... 7
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast .................................................................................................... 7
Chicken Primavera ........................................................................................................................... 7
Tenderloin Recipe ................................................................................................................... 8
Chicken Fajitas ................................................................................................................................. 8
Drumstick Recipe .................................................................................................................... 8
Crispy Oven Drums .......................................................................................................................... 8
Thighs Recipe.......................................................................................................................... 9
Orzo and Spinach One-Pot Chicken .................................................................................................. 9
Wings Recipe ........................................................................................................................ 10
Sweet and Sour Wings ................................................................................................................... 10
Shredded Chicken Recipes ..................................................................................................... 10
Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets ......................................................................................................... 10
Chicken Pasta Soup ........................................................................................................................ 11
Final Thoughts ...................................................................................................................... 11
About the Author .................................................................................................................. 12

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 Introduction
With the price of food rising and the availability of some foods diminishing, it is important
to make the best possible use of the food we bring into our homes. This means
developing new skills such as butchering a whole chicken if we have never done that
before. It means preparing meals with less animal protein and more vegetable protein,
which is less expensive. In means stretching our food budget by using a little to go a
long way and not wasting anything, if possible.

This booklet will help you practice those goals by using two chickens to prepare 12
delicious meals that will feed two adults. The recipes are simple and easily adaptable to
the needs of your family. So, let’s get started!

Cutting the Chickens

You will need two whole chickens and a very sharp knife. If you have never done this
before, you can watch me struggle through doing it in this video. You will notice that I
am a novice. I am not very practiced yet even though I have done it a few times. But we
can do this! Some of my cuts are pretty jagged, but the meat survived, and so will we.

Here we go!
1. Cut through the joint bones to remove the legs, thighs, and wings.
2. Put legs in one pile, the thighs in one pile, and the wings in one pile.
3. The wings have three sections. Cut through the joints to separate those pieces.
Place the wing tips in a soup pot and leave the other two sections in the pile.
4. Now you are going to separate the breast piece from the back by cutting through
the cavity from neck to tail. Keep the breast piece intact.
5. Place the back piece in the soup pot along with any skin or other scraps.
6. With the breast side up, first remove the skin to the soup pot and then carefully
separate the meat from the breast bone by cutting downward and lengthwise on
both sides of the bone.
7. When each breast is separated from the bone, you will notice a long, small piece
sometimes called the tenderloin or flank attached to the breast meat. Cut each
tenderloin from the breast and place in a pile. Place the breasts in a pile
8. When you have finished cutting both chickens, here is what you should have:
a. 4 breasts
b. 4 tenderloins
c. 4 drumsticks
d. 4 thighs
e. 8 wing pieces
f. A soup pot with wing tips, backs, necks, skin, and any other extra pieces
9. Congratulations! We did it!

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Next, add about 6 cups of water to the soup pot to make broth. We want to get as much
flavor into this broth as we can, so we need to add some aromatics such as one carrot,
2-3 ribs of celery including leaves, and a quartered onion. Add other fresh or dried
herbs according to your taste. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to help extract the flavor
from the bones. Simmer on very low setting for about an hour or longer. Set aside to
cool. Remove the solids from the broth with a slotted spoon and remove all the meat
pieces to a separate bowl. This should yield about 2 cups of delicious, shredded
chicken. Strain the broth into quart jars and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Use the remaining solids as you wish. Most of the flavor from the veggies is now in the
broth, but some people dice, dehydrate, and powder them for added fiber they can
include in recipes. I add them to my compost pile.

At this point, I package the piles of meat separately into ziplock bags according to how
they will be used in the recipes. Here is how I do it:
• 2 bags each containing two breasts
• All tenderloins in one bag
• All drumsticks in one bag
• All thighs in one bag
• All wing pieces in one bag
• Two bags each containing half, about 1 cup, of the shredded chicken pieces

Next, I decide when each meal will be added to our menu plan over the next three-four
weeks and that helps me decide which packages will go into the freezer, which into the
refrigerator, and which I will continue working on that day.

Some of the recipes below make enough for two meals. When I have finished
preparing the meal, I divide it in half and package up one half and place it in a covered
refrigerator dish to save for a second meal 3 or 4 days later in the week. Alternatively, I
freeze half to have ready to thaw and serve for a quick meal at a later date.

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 Breast Meat Recipes
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast
2 Meals
This is our favorite way to fry chicken!

2 chicken breasts cut in half the long way

1 beaten egg thinned with a tablespoon of milk or water
½ cup flour amply seasoned with season salt (Lawry’s) and pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil or ghee

Dip each chicken breast piece in the egg mixture, then dredge with flour, then in the egg
mixture again, and finish with rolling it in the cheese. Heat the olive oil or ghee in a cast
iron skillet until hot and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides and the
thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F (74°C). Serve 4 breast pieces now and
package and refrigerate or freeze the remaining 4 for a future meal.

Serving ideas:
• Green peas and a fruit salad
• Green chili rice (Cook 1 cup rice then add 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of
chicken soup without adding extra water, and 1 small can green chilis with liquid,
and a half cup of sour cream.)
• Baked beans and cornbread

Chicken Primavera
(Recipe adapted from Food Network)
2 Meals

2 chicken breasts cut into ½ inch pieces

2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed green beans
2 tbsp brown mustard
2 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves of garlic)
4 tbsp ghee or butter, melted
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tsp parsley flakes

In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the melted ghee, mustard, salt, and garlic.
Add the green beans and tomatoes and toss. Cover the bowl with a lid or with plastic
wrap and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Remove to a skillet over medium
high heat and add chicken pieces. Cook, stirring often to prevent burning until chicken
is done. Set aside half the meal to cool and package for the refrigerator or freezer for a
future meal. Divide remaining meal between two plates and serve.

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Although this is a complete meal by itself, you could also serve it with:
• Rice
• Crusty bread

Tenderloin Recipe
Chicken Fajitas
2 Meals

2 tbsp ghee or olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika is OK if you don’t have smoked)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves of garlic)
1 each: red, yellow and green bell pepper cut in thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 chicken tenderloins cut into strips
12 six-inch flour tortillas for serving

Heat oil or ghee in a cast iron skillet. Mix spices together and rub into the chicken
strips. Save any spice mix that is left over. Stir fry the chicken strips, remove from pan,
and set aside. Add vegetables and remaining spice mix and stir fry until tender crisp.
Add the chicken back into the skillet and heat through. Remove half the mixture to cool
for packaging in the refrigerator or freezer for a later meal. Also set aside six of the flour
tortillas for that later meal. Serve remaining meal with six tortillas and desired
garnishes.

Serving suggestions:
• Guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa

Drumstick Recipe
Crispy Oven Drums
1 Meal

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C)

4 chicken drumsticks with skin on
½ tsp each of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

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Mix ingredients together in a small sauce bowl and brush on drumsticks. Place in
parchment or foil lined 9x9 pan and place in preheated oven. Baste with pan juices as
baking progresses. Bake until meat reaches 165°F (74°C).

Serving suggestions:
• Green salad and sweet corn
• Rice and black beans
• Scalloped potatoes and asparagus spears

Thighs Recipe
Orzo and Spinach One-Pot Chicken
(Recipe adapted from damndelicious.net)
2 Meals

Prepare the meal in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet.

4 chicken thighs with skin on

1 tbsp ghee or butter
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped onions
6 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp brown mustard
2/3 cup orzo
3 cups fresh baby spinach
¼ cup parmesan cheese
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp dried parsley

Melt ghee in skillet over medium heat. Place thighs in melted ghee in the skillet, season
with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Internal
temperature should be 165°F (74°C). Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add mushrooms and onions to the skillet and cook until tender. Add garlic and thyme
and stir. Add flour and stir until browned. Stir in chicken broth and mustard. Add in
orzo and add more salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer
until orzo is done.

Add in cheese, and sour cream and heat through. Gently fold in spinach leaves and stir
until barely wilted. Arrange cooked thighs on top of mixture and serve with hot biscuits
or rolls.

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 Wings Recipe
Sweet and Sour Wings
1 Meal

Sprinkle the wings with garlic powder and dredge in cornstarch—do not use flour. Dip
in 1 beaten egg and fry. Line a 9x9 baking pan with foil and arrange the wings in the
pan.

Sauce:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar
½ cup crushed pineapple
2 tbsp catsup
1 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp salt
Mix all ingredients together and boil in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Pour
over chicken wings and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes until done.

Serving suggestions:
• Coleslaw and baked sweet potato chunks with butter, rosemary, and cheese
• Macaroni salad and breadsticks
• Potato salad and cornbread

Shredded Chicken Recipes

Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets
1-2 Meals
(makes 4-8 pockets depending on size of muffin cups)

1 cup shredded chicken

1 cup diced, steamed broccoli flowerets
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup marinara sauce or sauce of choice
1 recipe pie crust, or one box of frozen puff pastry

To make these hot pockets you will need a muffin pan or a cast iron mini cake pan. Roll
out the pastry and cut in large circles to the size that will best fit when patted into the
muffin/cake cups with about ½ inch extending above the rim. Add about 1 tbsp of each
ingredient in each cup in the following order:
• Sauce
• Chicken
• Broccoli
• Cheese

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Cover each cup with a pastry circle a little larger in diameter than the muffin cup. Pinch
the top and bottom pastry layers together to seal the edge. Bake at 350°F (177°C) until
filling is bubbly and pastry is done, about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Pasta Soup

1 Meal

1 tbsp ghee or butter

½ cup each diced onion, carrots, and celery
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup pasta—we like to break fettuccini noodles into about 2” lengths
4 cups chicken broth1 bay leaf (optional)
1 cup shredded chicken

In a soup pot, melt the ghee and sauté the vegetables together. Feel free to add any
other vegetables you would like to. Add the broth and bay leaf (if using) and bring to a
boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is done. Add the chicken and heat through.
Serve.

Serving ideas:
• Bread sticks
• Biscuits or corn bread
• Fruit bowl

Final Thoughts
Please consider these recipes as just suggestions. You may have other recipes that
would work in place of the ones given. You can also alternate recipes every time you
prepare two chickens for another set of meals. There are many possibilities with using
chicken meat cut into these particular pieces. The basic idea here is to reduce the
amount of meat protein consumed in a meal and add more vegetable protein, which is
less expensive.

If your family is larger than two adults, it is easy to add another chicken and adjust the
recipes accordingly or stretch the given meals more by serving just one drumstick per
person or cutting the breast pieces in half for the Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe. If
our families are used to larger servings of animal protein, it may be a good idea to go
slow in stretching the amount of meat per person at first. If each meal includes
delicious and attractive sides of plant protein, it may help people adjust more readily.

Enjoy! Be creative! And enjoy the journey.

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 About the Author

Pamela Patch Cantrell, Ph.D. Science Education

Among all of Pam’s titles and accomplishments during her career and lifetime, her most
precious is being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Second to that
is being a teacher. Having taught in K-12 and higher education for nearly 60 years, she
has brought her knowledge and experience now to the YouTube channel, RoseRed
Homestead, that she and her husband Jim started in 2019. They focus on food
security, self-reliance, and emergency preparedness. One of her favorite activities is
experimenting and developing recipes that are adaptable for using food storage
ingredients and off grid cooking and baking to help members of their YouTube
community be well prepared for the uncertain times in which we live.

Website: www.roseredhomestead.com (You can also find our Amazon stores here.)

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/roseredhomestead

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseRed-Homestead-101761145228602

RoseRed Homestead Book Store: https://payhip.com/roseredhomestead

e-Books slated for publication in 2022:

A Comfortable Food Security Plan for Uncomfortable Times: How to Build Two Weeks
of Meal Plans into a Year’s Supply of Food (with sister, Cindy Patch Patterson)

Plain and Fancy Protein Bowl Recipes (with sister, Cindy Patch Patterson)

The A-maize-ing Qualities of Food Storage Corn (with daughter, Cynthia Browning)

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