Using this easy roast chicken recipe, you can make a tasty dinner without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Complete the meal with this yummy California Veggie Bake and a dessert of Oatmeal Apple cookies!
Easy Roast Chicken Recipe And Meal
Tips:
- To keep apples crisp, keep them in the fridge to help them stay crisp.
- When you can, eat the peel on your apple. That is where 2/3 of the fiber is found.
- Sometimes we would love to have homemade biscuits but don’t have the time to roll them out. You can get that same great taste with less work by making drop biscuits. Mix baking mix biscuits as if making regular biscuits but, instead of rolling them, take a large spoon and drop on a greased cookie sheet. Bake as you would regular biscuits.
- When you have just a few vegetables left from roasted veggies, don’t toss them. Chop them up and use them in some of your favorite casserole, chili, or meatloaf recipes. The roasted taste of the vegetables give ordinary recipes a refreshing new taste.
Every once in a while, I mention how in our Dining on a Dime Cookbook, Volume 1 we have some very hard to find recipes, things like how to make your own stuffing mix, cornbread mix or curried rice mix but it also includes all of the basics.
When we first wrote the book, there were gourmet cookbooks by the hundreds but very few cookbooks for beginner cooks. I said if we were going to write a cookbook it had to be one that would help new cooks learn the basics like how to cook a roast, mash potatoes or make rice. We also wanted to make sure that the recipes were easy to understand and could be prepared at little cost using everyday ingredients.
Dining on a Dime also includes all the recipes you need for your holiday cooking like pecan pie, pumpkin pie, stuffing, cookies, candies, wassail and hot chocolate. There are lots of easy, quick and soo yummy recipes throughout the whole book.
Today’s roasted chicken recipe menu is a very simple one, which the youngest beginner cook can make and the seasoned cook will enjoy.
Today’s Menu:
Roasted Chicken Recipe
Baked Potatoes
California Veggie Bake
Oatmeal Apple Cookies
Recipes:
There are almost as many recipes for roasted chicken as there are people and most of them are delicious. We also have several roast chicken recipes on our website but today I want to remind you that sometimes keeping it very simple and easy can taste just as delicious, too. Here is one of my favorite ways to roast a chicken. I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken because I can now get them as cheap as a whole chicken and it is so much easier to use chicken pieces than having to cut it up when the chicken is done.
If you’d prefer a different roast chicken recipe that is a bit more extravagant, you can find another one here.
Easy Roast Chicken Recipe
This easy roast chicken recipe is a tasty chicken dinner recipe you can make with just 5 minutes prep time! Add sliced veggies like potatoes, carrots, peppers and onions for a complete one-pan meal!
Ingredients
Chicken pieces
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Lay the chicken pieces in a greased pan, uncovered.
- Sprinkle with spices.
- Bake at 300 – 350° for 30 minutes to an hour or 8-10 hours at 170°, until the meat falls away from the bone easily or the juices run clear.
The cooking time for this chicken recipe depends on how big the pieces are, the temperature you use, and your oven. Sometimes, halfway through the cooking I will place a small dab of butter on each piece or brush with butter.
Notes
- You can also add your favorite veggies like carrots, potatoes, onions or peppers to this recipe for an easy one-pan meal!
- You can use whatever kind of chicken you like for this recipe. It works well with boneless or bone-in chicken, so if you find something on sale, this recipe will work great!
(This roast chicken recipe is from Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Volume 1.)
This California vegetable bake is a colorful side dish that is great for a chilly fall evening. It uses Velveeta Cheese. I didn’t used to buy Velveeta as much as I bought cheddar cheese. One day I compared prices and the Velveeta was the same price as cheddar, so I buy Velveeta more often now.
California Veggie Bake
2 (16 oz.) packages California Blend frozen vegetables
8 oz. Velveeta (cubed)
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and divided
1/2 cup butter-flavored crackers, crushed
Prepare vegetables according to the package directions and drain. Place half of the vegetables into an 11x7x2 ungreased baking dish. Melt cheese and 4 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan and pour half over the vegetables. Layer with the rest of the veggies and cover with the rest of the cheese mixture. Mix the crackers and the rest of the butter and sprinkle over the vegetables. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 325° until golden.
Your house will smell irresistibly good to your family when they come home at the end of a long day to this next recipe! Kids love oatmeal cookies, but throw in the smell of cinnamon and apples and you have a winner.
Oatmeal Apple Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda and add to butter mixture. Fold in oats and apples. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Let stand for 1 minute before removing from the cookie sheet.
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Your newsletter absolutely makes my day. Please keep it coming. I have a couple of comments. For the drop biscuit recipe, you can add a 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese or even parmmesan to the mix. This is so yummy!
Your Oatmeal Apple cookies look so good that I am trying them well before the holidays.
Thank you!!!
If I don’t have dried apples, can I use fresh chopped apples? (Probably a dumb question)
Laura that is really a good question. I don’t know why you couldn’t use fresh. I use fresh all the time in similar recipes. Mostly I think the texture might be a little different but maybe not.
CCBelle I also add cheese to the mix. I don’t bother grating it just break of small chunks and it seems to please my family more as they get a mouthful of extra cheese.
I also add little bits of ham sometimes with the cheese and sometimes without. depending on whether the cheese is thawed out. If you freeze cheese it crumbles which is nice for baking.
When we leave for road trips in the morning hours I make tea biscuits and put cheese, ham or bacon and drop them on the cookie sheet. Nice quick snack for the car. If I don’t want to butter them after they bake I add a bit more margarine to the mix and they are nice a buttery without the butter.
For a fancier treat I roll the biscuits out and cover the dough with cinnamon and sugar and apples sliced really fine. roll them up like a jelly roll cut them into slices top with butter and more cinnamon. They travel well in lunch pails but are really good instead of toast for breakfast.
I would probably cut back a bit on the liquid called for. the apples will be juicier than the dried ones.
Another thing I do if I don’t have time to roll my biscuts out is make the dough into a roll and slice the dough into slices and bake. They really don’t look that much different than the cut out ones.
Love your recipes and information you give.
Thank you
Jackie
Thanks for the info Jill. I look forward to trying it.
I just have a question to ask. Have you heard of the “MPB Today”…”FreeGroceries.tv” website? They advertise an unbelievable offer…free groceries and an opportunity to make money. I want to know if it is legitimate or if there is a “catch”.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Teresa Swain
If you want your catheads separate but don’t want to roll and cut them, make your biscuit dough, then drop a tablespoon in a bowl of flour, turn it over, dust it off, and put it in the pan as usual. This works for the finicky, or is that finky, souls who can’t abide a drop biscuit or a whop biscuit (whop the can on the counter).
for having cut biscuits you can always do it this way. Easy all way round..
pat the dough into a thickness you usually roll them to or roll them.
it should be a rough circle.
then take a knife and cut it like a pie. you have triangle biscuits instead of round but they are kind of a novelty.
it takes no longer than drop biscuits.
Sometimes I split the cookie mixture into two and mix one half with cocoa powder, to make it brown chocolate colour. I then split each half of the mix into two again, then roll each piece into a big long sausage, making two beige sausages and two chocolate sausages. Then I sandwich them together again into one big long sausage, placing the beige and brown pieces alternately to give a harlequin effect. I then slice them into biscuit sized portions, lay them out on a greased cookie sheet, and bake as normal. This way you get a kind of two-tone biscuit for very little effort!!
How does one dry apples etc with no dehydrator? My apple tree has finally grown up and I don’t know what to do with them all. They didn’t store well last year.
You can dehydrate without a dehydrator. Slice etc. the same way you would for a dehydrator but just put them on something like a cookie sheet and in the oven at about 135-140 degrees. Most ovens don’t have a temperature which shows that low so just put it on warm or the lowest setting you can for your oven.
You also can thinly slice them, put them on trays, cover with a sheet or dish towels and set out in the sun but to do this you need hot temps and low humidity. Plus I have critters at my house that I am always afraid are going to get into them so I think the oven method would be best.
You could try freezing them by using our apple pie filling or canning by making applesauce. If you have an apple tree it might pay you to invest in at least an inexpensive round dehydrator. They aren’t to bad and I see them at yard sales all the time. With them you can just stick them in there and pretty much forget about them.
Hi Jill and Tawra,
You both were great to share some of your budget friendly meals during the summer months-Jill, I’m still VERY impressed you could get a week’s worth of sandwiches from one can of tuna. You may get some kind of prize for that!!
Can you help me out with cold weather meals? Really cost saving, hearty and healthy ideas are what I need. What do you eat during an average day in the winter? How do you start your day? More people are saying eggs are a great way-lots of protein and they keep you full longer. Do you make small meals or larger casseroles and soups? What are your favorite snacks and drinks for cold weather?
Thanks!
Barb where do I begin? Well first of all I have 2 different winter eating habits; before Christmas and the days after Christmas. With me baking non stop until Christmas Eve I loose my appetite. For some reason when I cook I don’t feel like eating then add to that I am so exhausted I have a hard time deciding what to eat and don’t have the strength to eat let alone cook anything. I am the only person I know of who loses weight at Christmas time.
That being said I do still have to feed myself, now whether my meals are hearty or healthy I guess it depends on your definition of both of those. For example you mentioned eggs. I love eggs and remember when they said the world must stop eating them. I didn’t listen and kept right on eating eggs at least once a day because I knew how “they” work and figured they would swing back the other way some day and here they come again – guess what eggs are good for you now. HA!HA!
Anyway must once again get off of my soap box and answer your questions. Here is my before Christmas menus. I usually have a quick bowl of cereal in the morning. If I am going shopping or making deliveries I will poach me up an egg or scramble a couple with a piece of toast because it does stay with me longer.
I don’t do much different since I live alone for lunch and dinner. For example I got another run of tomato soup on sale for $.50 so I threw two cans of it in a pot, with some hamburger I had in the freezer which was already cooked and made a pot of chili. That will get me through 2-3 days of meals. Not bad for about $1.50 for all.
I have some meat balls which I made up before I started baking and will add some bar b que sauce to them and have a couple for a meal along with some frozen broccoli and baked potato.
If I get a chance I will boil up a couple of pieces of chicken and use them for soup, a sandwich or toss in some frozen noodles and this will work for 5-6 meals easy.
Another thing I do all winter long is make up 4-6 cups of white sauce. I love to add either a can of tuna to it or I will add hamburger (from freezer already cooked) or a couple of hard boiled eggs (not altogether but either tuna or eggs etc) and serve it on toast. When I add the hard boiled eggs I will use that for breakfast and dinner both. This once again will be at least a 2-3 days worth of meals.
I don’t snack much but if I do I will grab a piece of fruit, cookie, candy or nuts just depending on how good or bad I have been eating that day. I am very much a coffee drinker but this time of year I love and live off of hot drinks like hot tea, lots of cocoa w/marshmallows (made with real live milk and Nestles Quick) and for a special treat if I find it on sale I will drink apple cider with cinnamon sticks, brown sugar etc. mulled in it.
In Jan. I eat more normal. I will fix a small casserole, pot of soup or stew and will eat on it for days. I don’t like freezing things like that too much because even if I wrap it careful it still changes the taste so I will eat on something for several days but at the same time if I make say chicken soup I will just cook one piece of chicken. You don’t have to make a huge pot of anything and just cut everything down.
I bake things like banana muffins or bread because those I do freeze and will pop them out as I need one for breakfast with some scrambled egg or for a snack. For some reason I do a lot of cheese and crackers too this time of year.
I also love Mexican food so will make me up tacos, quesadillas, sour cream enchiladas or stacked enchiladas of course with hamburger already cooked and in the freezer. I do eat more frozen and canned fruits and veggies just because I hate to drive in the snow and try to limit my trips to the store. Hope this helps a little.
Jill,
You sure are good at this! These are all great tips and I’m going to try all of them. Funny-I crave cheese and crackers during the winter, too! Wonder why we would want that?? Ummmm….
I love the idea of making a big batch of white sauce. You’re so right-it’s so easy to make different things with it. And, it’s served hot and makes you feel warm inside. I guess we all crave those comfort things when it’s cold.
I have been making a big mistake by cooking big batches of stews, soups, etc. I freeze the extra, and they never are as good. I sure agree with you there!
I don’t think I’ve shared this but I have degenerative disc disease in my spine. I can’t stand or walk for more than about 45 mins. I tire very easily-just like CFS. I also struggle with constant pain. This is a progressive illness and there is no cure. I also have no health ins., and live on right at 1,000 dollars a month. My “wasband” was a stock broker and stole a half million dollars from an 87 yr. old woman. I was left with nothing. The govt. took our home, and I walked away with two devastated children. Looking back I don’t know how I got through all of this-well, yes I do. It was God and tons of prayers! I now have a huge heart for others, and share the little I do have. I may be wrong but it seems like those who have suffered the most and have the least are the most caring and generous with what they have.
I am really grateful for what you and Tawra do. I feel like your story is my story in many ways. I’m going to go fix a hot drink and turn down the heat now. What temp do you turn yours down to now? And, how did you make it turning your heat OFF when your kids were little? What was your trick, cuz you’re still here!!:)
Mom keeps her heat at 55 and MIke and keep ours at 64. We just put on extra clothes. It wasn’t so much fun getting dressed in the morning but it wasn’t that bad. We did have a wood stove so that helped.
Just so you won’t be confused Tawra was using Michael’s computer when she wrote this answer about my heat. I do want to add a couple of things though. For some of you out there like many other things you may need to start slow. You will crash and burn if you try to go from having your home at 75 degrees and drop down to 55. You might last a few hours before giving up. Start slow turning it down for a period then turn it down in a couple of weeks some more. I have lived like this for 40 years so my body is use to it but most people can’t handle it.
You can also do a lot by wearing sweaters instead of t shirts and turn your heat down even 5 degrees. Pull out the flannel nightgowns and turn turn the heat way down at night.
Barb you asked about babies etc. One reason I hate telling exactly how I do things is me and my situation is different from anyone else. Everyone is different so what works for me may not exactly work for someone else. If you have babies or little ones, elderly or very sick you may have to save in another area. When my babies were small I tried to keep my heat up the problem was I lived in a old house with no insulation and at times not even any sheet rock so even with the heat going full blast it barely got over 55-60.
I was just laughing with Tawra this week about remembering trying to pottty train her at this time of year. I had 2 in diapers so trying to wash and dry so many diapers in winter with no drier was hard. I decided to potty train her. Back then you put them in training pants and hoped for the best. It was a mess because I had to keep her in layers with shoes, socks and sometimes double pants to keep warm so when she wet I had to change everything. It was crazy. So like I said a person may have to find some other way to save for a situation like that. I just didn’t have a choice.
Barb my heart goes out to you with your health issues.
You are doing well with what you have to deal with.
The house I grew up in had no heat anywhere except a natural gas heater in the kitchen and another and a fire place in the living room. It was a huge house 13 rooms and 5 kids 2 adults.
No heat upstairs in the bedrooms so we used lots of quilts and laid out our clothes the night before and ran downstairs to dress in the living room. Boys and girls both I know that is considered bad form today but it was so cold who cared who was in the room. Did this until we moved when I was 16.
The house my husband and I have now has a forced air furnace and with the price of electricity we were spending $1000 a month on fuel and electricity so we bought a couple of kerosene heaters last year. One upstairs and one downstairs. We have a bigger one that we run when the wind storms hit us.
We keep the furnace at 62 and it runs at night only. Or when we are on day or overnight trips so the pipes don’t freeze and the cats are home alone they need to be warm.
Right now the temp is running about -20 to -30 celcius during the night and doesn’t get above -6 celcius during the day. The wind chill brings it down another 10 degrees most of the time.
Using the heaters instead of the furnace full time we figure last year we saved about $1000 for the winter season. We expect to save more this year as the price of fuel and electricity has gone up drastically.
We can use the space heaters safely as we do not have young children living here and when our grandchildren come we use the furnace. The youngest is 3 and not very graceful he takes after his grandmother.
For meals in winter I used to make large pots of soups or stews and ended up tossing them since nobody here liked them frozen.
I have found that using my smaller basic round slow cooker makes enough for 2 with maybe enough for the next day at lunch for 1.
My husband hates stew but I found that if I take it out of the slow cooker and put it into a casserole dish top it with tea biscuits and call it a pot pie he likes them. I don’t put in many vegetables just potatoes and carrots and meat cut really small and then add the thickener so there is lots of gravy they go better. Saves money as well as with the meat cut small it looks like you are getting more meat.
Friday nights are our bad health wise meal. I deep fry everything onion rings, french fries and egg rolls and chicken balls.
2 chicken thighs cut into small bite size pieces dipped into a tempura batter makes enough small chicken balls for both of us. Not much batter which is the way we like them.
Onion rings are from scratch using the same tempura batter.
Don takes his lunch of sandwiches everyday of the week so the fry night is something he looks forward to and it really is a very tasty but inexpensive meal. So what if your house smells like a greasy spoon eatery for a day after.
I also keep my own egg rolls in the freezer which is fun and a time saver.
For sandwiches I buy a really cheap roast and cook it in the slow cooker then grind it up and freeze it in small portions. When it is thawed I add mayonnaise and a bit of horse radish to it and use it for sandwiches. The sandwiches stay moister than if I just used the slices and the roast goes further.
i do the same with picnic ham roasts except I grind up sweet mixed pickles and a bit of mustard then mayo when I make the sandwiches. The other stuff can be done when you are grinding it and freeze well.
I also use the ham chunks in macaroni and cheese casseroles. Just make it as normal and add a can of chunked tomatoes some ham and toss it in the oven to heat nicely. You can top it with buttered bread crumbs and some sort of cheese. My kids loved it when I used mozzerella but Don prefers Cheddar.
Those except for the sandwich stuff are hits for nights when you want something really warm for a meal. Like when you have been out for 2 hours snowblowing yours and your 3 neighbours laneways.
I have severe mobility and stamina issues so my slow cookers are in very easy access areas so I can work on dinner all day if I need to.
Thanks Tawra, Jill and Grandma-
Seems like we all agree freezing leftovers just doesn’t work for most main dish things. It sure works well for fruits and veggies, though. I pulled out some peaches from the freezer today-didn’t do anything special to them. I cut them in half, took out the pit, and froze three whole ones. It’s so great to have these now in the winter!
Jill-good tip about lowering heat gradually. I am down to 61 degrees at night and 65 during the day. What temp to you have your house during the day? Do you find when the wind blows and it gets really bitter you have to crank it up a little more? I have a big ‘ole Retriever who sleeps with me….or, I sleep with her…wherever I can find a spot. She’s a total bed HOG, but she keeps the bed warm at night! She’s such a sweetie and the best companion ever. I know animal lovers understand there is no love like that you get from your pet. She doesn’t care what I look like or ever argue with me. If my kids had been as well behaved they would have been as spoiled as she is!
My Grandma told me when she was young, she and her sisters slept up in a loft area of their small, unheated home. She said in the winter it was not unusual to wake up with SNOW on top of the blankets! The windows were not sealed with anything at all…brrrrrrrrrrr. Same thing, grandma-they’d run downstairs to dress. Her father got up several times each night to stick wood in the only stove they had for heating and cooking. BTW-can anybody tell me how in the world you can perfectly bake a cake in a wood stove?? How do you know how much wood, and how do keep the temp consistent long enough to bake a cake??
Barb I do turn my heat up once in awhile to 60 when the wind is blowing really bad. I have an older home still and I am not sure it has much insulation either because the wind does seem to come right through my walls at times.
I do like older homes for in the summer. They seem to “breath” better for some reason and because I have so many huge trees it says so much cooler. On 100 degree days I can at times not even turn on my a/c.
How to regulate baking a cake in a wood stove. Years ago when people would say “she is a good cook” they really meant it. It was so much different then now because we have great cookbooks available and other resources plus most people can read the instructions on a package and just turn the knob on their oven to the number they need. Back then though it took a lot of practice to learn when the oven was just right. Some got so they could tell if an oven was the right temp by the feel of the heat on their arm.
Wood stoves have hot spots and each one is different so you basically just have to practice and find out where yours are in your wood stove. The temperature fluctuates (sp?) and even the type of wood you use can burn hotter then others. It really is just practice, practice and more practice.
I don’t use the heat or air until absolutely necessary. Usually when it hits 45 at night we turn it on. When it is over 90 outside or the humidity is very high we turn on the air. Usually we just use ceiling fans until we are miserable. It is 60 at night right now so no heat and no air as it is only in the 80’s during the day. This is funny but we don’t flush the toilets at night to save a couple of gallons of water (Water is high in AR. Ours is always 100 a month no matter how many people live in my house and no we dont’ have a water leak). I try to reinvent leftovers otherwise nobody will eat them and they end up going to the dogs or the compost pile. I stock up when they have coupon deals (free dog food at target this week after coupons) as much as possible. I follow Hip2Save and KrogerKrazy to get the most of my money for sure. I have three herniated discs and if I can lose weight they might do surgery I was told. I have insurance but it will take months to save the money to go see the doctors. I am lucky to have it but don’t always have the money to use it. LOL I support two disabled brothers and 3 grand kids on one job. Not easy but we are really blessed. I couldn’t do it without my brothers. I know how hard it is to work and run a house when you are in pain. My heart goes out to you. It is really painful to stand and walk but I can walk about a block or more without crying these days. They don’t give meds for herniated discs either. Hugs to all. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. I use my book all the time and my picky eaters (challenged brothers) even eat some of your recipes (that is a compliment believe me).
When you tell these stories of “good cooks”-women baking in wood stoves, people sleeping in unheated houses, never wasting a morsel of food, etc., I am reminded of just how resourceful and resilient the human spirit is inside of us all. I thank God for the tough times I have suffered. It caused me to grow in ways I could have never imagined.
Just for fun-Jill, it’s the weekend. What do you like to do for yourself for entertainment and enjoyable quality “Jill Time”? Movies? Books? Crafts? Shopping?
Actually I really don’t do to many “fun” things. I know I should do more. With my CFS I tire so easily that I have to usually save my strength just for the things I have to do. Things which use to be fun to me tire me so and it then makes them seem more like work. But so I don’t sound like a total party pooper I do break out every once in awhile and have a wild afternoon and take myself to see a movie.
I go to the $2.50 movie here in town, treat myself to popcorn and Pepsi about 2-3 times a year. Boy that is living. HA!HA! I don’t have a DVD player or anything but I do like to watch movies on TV too especially this time of year.
I am a book worm too. I probably read about 3-4 books a week. I have to be careful with that too because believe it or not reading can wear me out. Crazy isn’t it.I do love to embroidery. I have been doing it since I was about 7 and it is one thing I always go back to and still love. I do quilting and some crafts but not many any more. My biggest problem is I do crafts not because they are fun but out of necessity. If I see something I know my kids or grandkids would like I try to figure out how to make it to save money.
But if you are asking what a typical week end is for me well like today I got up and had to bake 10 dozen cookies. Will then work on web site stuff for about 2 hours. Normally when I am not baking I put in a 4 hour day on the website. When I am finished here I will go up and decorate at least 20 dozen cookies, do a load of laundry and work on presents.
Tomorrow I will go to church at Tawra’s and get home about 1. I try to take it easy on Sunday’s reading, watching TV. That is my one day I try not to work at all.
My interests change depending on where I live. In Idaho I loved being outside all the time and would walk a bunch or even sit outside and read.In Colorado I loved to go camping. Here in Kansas I feel so much more house bound just because it is either to hot, cold or the humidity is high.
Boy after reading this I hope it doesn’t sound too negative. I am having a little bit of a CFS day so am not thinking quite straight.
I am like Jill. I don’t do much to have fun. I work around the house on weekends and drive my brothers where ever they want or need to go. I try to clean house, take care of kids, and read a book before bed or watch tv after they have gone to sleep. I catch up on my surveys after they are asleep too. I haven’t been to a movie in about 20 years I think. I used to go to those historical house tours but since my back went out after foot surgery I haven’t been able to go. I have been trying to paint my kitchen for over a month and haven’t even got half a wall done. LOL I always tell myself that things could be worse and it gets me thought the weekend. Can’t wait to try this recipes tomorrow.
If you haven’t made a 30-minute chicken, they are delicious and so fast! I got my recipe from I think it was Pampered Chef, but you make a rub (or use any spice mixture you like for chicken), and apply it to a whole raw chicken and microwave for 30 minutes. The chicken comes out juicy and delicious, and since you use a rub on it, the skin isn’t pale and icky-looking.
I have found that my husband and I enjoy stew or soup that I have frozen much better if I remove (eat) any potatoes before freezing portions. Whenever we thaw and heat a package to eat I simply cut up and cook a few potatoes to add to the pot. Freshly cooked potatoes perk up the whole pot and makes the dish taste like it was just cooked and not reheated frozen leftovers.
Isn’t it interesting that some don’t like frozen foods and others don’t like (for me its canned biscuits. They taste like aluminum or as if they used too much cream of tarter.) On the other hand I freeze lots of things like chili and enjoy cassaroles more the next day or after they have been frozen. As a cheap asthmatic I keep my house at 55 when I’m at work and 65 when I am home. I wear sweat shirts, pants and a t shirt. Sometimes I wear a blanket. I belive the low temperature or non dryness helps me stay well.
Your recipes are always so tasty – can not wait to roast a chicken! I really enjoy & learn a lot from your website. I am wondering it your newsletters are archived anywhere on the site, or if the posts are archived, or do I just have to page back post by to in order to enjoy them from the very beginning? Thanks for all that you do!
Lorelai-
PS I treasure my “Not Just Beans” cookbook & use it all the time – thanks!
That is so sweet of you Lorelai. You have been with us from the very beginning. :) You know we don’t have them archived because we usually just pull an article off of the website to use at random and we have had to repeat some of the newsletters (like when Tawra was having babies or we were sick) but they are all on the website just in the form of posts. If it helps any if you type in a specific word in the search bar and it will pull up all the articles pertaining to that. If that doesn’t work holler and I might be able to find it for you.
I know you weren’t looking for anything specific but that might help a little. Sorry I couldn’t do more to help.
Jill,
In an above post Barb said:
“Jill, I’m still VERY impressed you could get a week’s worth of sandwiches from one can of tuna.”
I must have missed that tuna post – how did you do it????????
Lorelai
I am not sure which that post is either Lorelai. She maybe was talking about the fact that I will add a hard boiled egg, pickel and some celery to my tuna. I can then stretch it to about 4-5 sandwiches depending on how thick I spread it.
Thanks, Jill!
Lorelai