Photo Credit: Pinch of Yum
Seriously check out her blog, deliciously healthy recipes!
The last few weeks I’ve purchased a rotisserie chicken from Costco (3lbs for $4.99!) and have stretched that between 2-3 meals. As soon as I get it home, I dive in and strip the bones of all the meat. I’m sure it’s cheaper to prepare my own chicken but for $4.99 it’s worth the ease and time I’m saving. I’m still well within my $75 grocery budget each week, so it’s a very welcome convenience. The past few weeks I’ve made chicken tortilla soup, chicken chili, asian chicken wraps, chinese chicken salad, chicken tacos, plain ole’ chicken/rice/veggies, and several other meals. I think this is something we’re going to continue to adapt into our weekly meal plan. Using the chicken as a “condiment” in the meals really stretches the budget. Also making soups has allowed me to hide several new vegetables in our meals.
Tracking my weight loss progress:
So far I’m down 8.2lbs and my waist measurement went down 2.5 inches! Small changes, 30 minutes of daily excersise, and counting calories (I’m at 1400/day) is working very well for me. It’s a slow process but I’m making permanent changes and breaking bad habits and I figure I’m about 1/3 of the way to my goal.
Here is our meal plan for the week of 4/15:
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Pictured above) I’m looking forward to using this new recipe. This will require a small amount of diced chicken breast from the rotisserie chicken and will be the first of 3 meals.
Chicken Noodle Soup – after I’ve boiled down the bones, etc I’ll use the stock for this soup as well as a good portion of the chicken meat.
Baked Chicken Chimichangas - This recipe will use the last of the chicken meat and since it’s a filler along with the cheese and beans we won’t need a lot of meat. (White and dark meat, doesn’t matter in this recipe!)
Salmon, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and whatever veggie the Fred Meyer has on sale this weekend.
Turkey Burgers, Alexia Sweet Potato Fries, and Salad
Breakfast for dinner, something to do with eggs since we seem to still have an over-abundance of them.
Eating Out or Leftovers, something simple!
Jackie April 13, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Congrats on the weight loss! I love pinch of yum, and have tried this cauliflower crust before….it is delicious and the kiddos didn’t even think twice about it!!! I too love the cheap costco chickens because they are so convinient! Nice post!
Elisa Wilkie Barney via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 2:05 pm
love your meal plans….thank you!!
Another Coupon Page via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 2:06 pm
This is such a help!
Mary April 13, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Wow, good job on the weight loss and the food budget! I’m spending a lot more than that! Look forward to your posts.
Ashley Sampson via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Mmm those baked chimichangas sound amazing!!!!
The Frugal Find via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Don’t they?!
Joan April 13, 2012 at 4:10 pm
we like to stock up on whole turkey after thanksgiving, christmas and easter when they are around 30 cents a pound. turkey are so lean that the only part we are throwing away is the skin. debone it and all the meat go into the freezer and make stock with the bones.
Jolene April 14, 2012 at 6:48 am
Fresh&Easy fresh whole turkey was 35 cents/lb after Easter. I picked up two, and did what Joan said.
Dione Schwarz April 13, 2012 at 9:28 pm
If the whole bird is $4.99, that is about the best price around. There are few times, regardless of what the chicken weighs that I could even bake it myself for less. I do like making my own however it’s healthier that way since I control what goes on there, and I get to spice it up with fresh herbs to make the rest of my dishes taste great.
Congratulations on you’re weight loss! I would like the recipe to that Cauliflower crust!
There are a million healthy ways to stretch a budget with chicken, it’s one of my favorite economical and healthy menu solutions.
You’re doing a great job here, I love you’re page and Facebook updates. If you ever want one of my recipes or feature it here, just let me know
Elizabeth A. Maher Purdum via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Congrats on your weight loss. And I love those Costco chickens, too:)
Brandy Sands via Facebook April 13, 2012 at 11:14 pm
I love these meal plans…thanks for posting…now lets just see if I have time to follow them lol
Joe Meany via Facebook April 14, 2012 at 10:40 am
very creative and thrifty
Amber Englund Browning via Facebook April 14, 2012 at 8:12 pm
I’m going to have to try this. I buy a chicken from there every week, but usually only get 2 meals out of it.
The Frugal Find via Facebook April 14, 2012 at 8:36 pm
If you can use the chicken as a condiment or accessory I find that it’s totally doable, but the second we sit down to eat some chicken – hahaha, that’s it the whole bird is gone between all of us.
Catherine Kennedy Myers via Facebook April 15, 2012 at 9:38 pm
That is impressive! One chicken lasts us just one night (4 of us, though 3 are teens).
Shana Long Hamel via Facebook April 16, 2012 at 5:56 am
Made the chimichangas a couple nights ago. My husband and sons loved them! So easy and delicious!