Chicken Pantry raids!

Frugal living calls for getting the most out of what we already have on hand. Pantry raids, or creative use of leftovers, are not just a time saver; they're good penny pinchers, too.

How many meals can you get out of a chicken? Not counting the eggs, of course. If you have a whole roaster, at least three meals, maybe four.

1. Rotisserie chicken!! My favorite trick: cut an orange in quarters. Stuff two in the chicken cavity, and drizzle the juice of the rest over the chicken to help keep it moist.

2. Soup or stew. It's almost an obsession; I can't throw out the chicken carcass without making soup stock first. I use a fork to pick all the edible meat from the carcass and add it to the freezer stash labeled "chix for soup." Chicken stock, meat, and assorted vegetables, and the result is one good soup. Or stew, if you make it thicker and skip the noodles. I confess, my soups never seem to have a recipe. With a homemade stock and enough meat scraps and veggies, they always seem to turn out delicious.

3. Sandwiches! On a bun or on wheat bread, leftover chicken breast is delicious. Slice it thin and add a slice of Swiss cheese, and that's one yummy brown bag lunch.

4. Parts. Legs, thighs, wings: if they don't go in the soup, they make a great leftover, too. Veggies or a salad on the side, and that same chicken has once again made an appearance on the table.

Now on to the eggs. Nope, that'll have to wait until another day.

Stumble It!