Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES

Simple Shredded Chicken

The last few weeks, I have been using this method of cooking my chicken, and really love the simplicity of it.  I stocked up on Smart Chicken Bone-In Chicken Breasts when they were on sale.  They come 2 to a package, which I have found makes about 2 cups of shredded chicken.  I use the bones to make Bone Stock, then I use the chicken in Chicken Soup for my husbands lunches, or I use it for different dinner recipes that I have (Chicken Tacos, Chicken & Rice casserole, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Tortilla Soup, etc)

All I do is:
1.} Thaw the chicken
2.} Slice open package and get the chicken out with tongs so I don’t have to touch its slime:)
3.} Plop it in a stock pan
4.} Cover it with water
5.} Quarter an onion and add.
6.} Peel and cut in half 2-3 carrots, add.
7.} Wash and cut in half 2-3 celery stalks, add.
8.} Bring to boil
9.} Turn down heat and simmer for 11/2 hours, or until no longer pink.
10.} Take a long whiff of my incredible- smelling house.
11.}Remove chicken from broth using tongs (don’t pitch that broth!)
12.} Let cool.
13.} Take off bone and shred. (don’t throw away those bones!)
14.} Use in a recipe or freeze in a mason jar for later use.

Use bones to make very healthful chicken stock:
1.} Throw bones in crockpot
2.}Add broth saved from above steps.
3.} Do steps 4-7 above. (depending on how much broth you had from cooking chicken, you may not need to add water.  Just eyeball it and fill crockpot up about 2/3 full.)
4.} Add 1 Tbls vinegar (this helps all the healthful minerals extract from the bones into the stock)
5.} Cook in crockpot on low 12-14 hours.
6.} Cool and strain.
7.} Put in mason jar and freeze until needed.
8.} Remember to season with salt and pepper when ready to use.

Read this post for more information on the health benefits of making your own stock.


This post is linked to:
Food on Fridays @Ann Kroeker. Writer.
30 Minute Blog Challenge @ Steady Mom
Made It Mondays @ The Persimmon Perch

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  • se7en
    February 17, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Hmmm that looks good!!! I love your header photograph, its brilliant… I always know straight away where I have landed!!! Have a good week…

  • Kim & Dave
    February 16, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    Yummy! I can just smell it!

  • Tamra
    February 12, 2010 at 12:35 am

    well, I most often buy boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Most often I will package two breasts or several thighs together so I break it apart when it has cooked for a few minutes and thawed. But as long as I remember that I’m cooking chicken and don’t let it go too long it seems to do fine.

  • Tamra
    February 11, 2010 at 3:04 am

    I do similar except I cook it from frozen. Then I don’t have to deal with “slime”. =)

  • Amy
    February 11, 2010 at 3:16 am

    Tamra-I’ve wanted to do that but have read that by the time the inside of the chicken closest to the bone gets cooked, the meat towards the outside is overcooked and gets tough? Have you found that to be true?

    Sarah-you will love it. I used to spend so much money on boxes of chicken stock, or on those nasty msg laden chicken bouillion cubes, not anymore!! The flavor of homemade is so deep and rich, make sure you season it with s & p before using. Thanks for reading..

  • For the Love of Naps - Sarah
    February 11, 2010 at 3:06 am

    I will try this for the stock. I have been cooking chickens instead of just buying chicken breasts and I love it. I haven’t attempted the stock yet though. I will put that on my to do list next week 🙂

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