Have you tried a Misty Knoll whole chicken yet? If you haven’t, give it a try! Roasting a whole bird may not yet be in your weekly dinner planning, but it’s a great way to cover a few delicious meals for the whole family with relatively little prep. The quality and flavor of the chicken is unparalleled, making each meal a total delight. Here are a few easy meal suggestions:
Pat the bird dry and place it in a large roasting pan or skillet. Coat the exterior with olive oil (or similar) and shower with salt, cracked pepper and any additional herbs and spices. For added flavor, stuff sprigs of thyme and a half a lemon in the body cavity. Cover the chicken with foil and roast in the oven at 415-420 for about 50 minutes, basting every 10 or so. Finish with 20 minutes uncovered to brown and crisp the skin before letting the entire bird rest out of the oven for 10 minutes.
Try roasting root vegetables in a separate dish for a side; carrots, brussels, potatoes or cauliflower.
Depending on who’s eating, you may have one whole breast and ample dark meat left over from the first meal to make a chicken caesar salad for meal two. When available, grab some Lacinato kale and massage a simple caesar dressing (with Anchovies!) into the raw leaves to soften them. Toss the dressed kale with cubed chicken and homemade croutons!
After removing all the meat, you’re left with the carcass which still has lots of meat and flavor. Pop this into the freezer for later.
When you’re ready for meal three, pull the frozen chicken carcass from the freezer and set out for about 10-15 minutes to defrost. In the meantime, saute some garlic and yellow onions with a bay leaf and some red pepper. Then, add diced carrots and celery and continue to saute until everything begins to soften. At this point, add the chicken carcass and about 8 cups of water. Let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving. (Note: the longer you cook, the richer your soup will be.)
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