When the grocery budget is tight, cooks look for ways to stretch every dollar and still make incredible meals that everyone will enjoy. Budget cooking can mean making more than one meal from a main cut of meat or buying meat in quantity to reduce the cost. For a grocery cost cutting step, read on to learn how to make 3 meals from one chicken.

To start the process of multiple meals from one chicken, all you need is a 5 to 7 pound roasting chicken. Pre-cook the bird, either roasting in the oven or boiling on the stove in a large stock pot. Then all you have to do is pick the meat from the bones for the meals. Save the broth if you boiled the meat, or the drippings if you baked. These can be used for making soups or gravy. You should have enough chicken meat to make three main courses for meals to feed either family or friends frugally. Most of the ingredients for the following recipes can be found in your pantry or refrigerator as well.

If you prefer, you can cook the chicken ahead of time, divide the meat into three even amounts and put into freezer bags. Mark the bags with the date and then freeze. This can save time when getting ready to make meals in the future and also allows you to serve the chicken meals in different weeks. Freezing the meat ahead helps today’s busy cook who is not only trying to find ways to stretch their grocery dollars, but also ways to make a great meal in less time. Another way to cut the prep time for the recipes is to purchase an already cooked rotisserie chicken. The following three recipes are quick and easy to prepare and could become a regular part of your family meal plan. This guide page offers three recipes using the prepared chicken: chicken hash, chicken cakes and pasta and chicken pot pie.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
• 1 cup boiled diced potatoes diced
• 2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbledhttp://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/poultry/bobhope.htm
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 medium carrots, shreddedhttp://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Chicken-Hash-Recipe

Directions

1. Cook chicken, potatoes, and bacon before beginning this recipe
2. Mix potatoes and chicken with all other ingredients except margarine
3. Melt margarine in a large skillet or fry pan. Drop chicken mixture into frying pan, stirring until browned.
4. Serve with toast and fried eggs

Using another cup of the prepared chicken, chicken cakes with pasta meal is the second of three chicken meals from one chicken. If the chicken was frozen ahead, defrost in the refrigerator the night before preparing this meal.

Chicken Cake Ingredients

• 8 ounces cooked angel hair pasta
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked chicken chopped or shredded
• 1 cup white sauce
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup mayonnaisehttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-cakes-with-tangy-remoulade-sauce-recipe/index.html
• 3/4 cup vegetable oilhttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-cakes-with-tangy-remoulade-sauce-recipe/index.html

Directions

1. Cook angel hair pasta and set aside.
2. Add eggs, milk, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and ½ cup crumbs to chopped chicken
3. Form into small flat patties like hamburgers
4. Press patties into remaining bread crumbs to coat the chicken cake
5. Fry in vegetable oil over medium heat until browned
6. Place over angel hair pasta and cover with white sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup cut chicken
• 1 cup cut carrots
• 1/2 cup cut potatoeshttp://www.foodreference.com/html/chicken-pot-pie-30208.html
• 1/4 cup onions chopped
• 1 can cream of chicken souphttp://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/hearty-chicken-pot-pie/07ca9e43-c96f-4540-991c-564ee78bd768
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1 ready made pie crust
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In an oval 2 quart casserole dish, combine all ingredients, except milk and pie crust
2. Wet the rim of the casserole dish so the pie crust will stick well
3. Place the pie crust over the top of the casserole dish and make sure it covers the dish
4. Cut vent holes on the top of the top of the crust.
5. Lightly wipe milk on the top of the crust for a tender crust.
6. Place in the oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown