Thursday, February 5, 2009

Ready for the bouncing chicken?

It's Wednesday dinner! Bouncing chicken!
It's pot pie time!

Remember I told you I always keep 'cream of' soups on hand. Well I hope you took that too heart!

Get out that chicken carcass (start this early!) Put it all in a big pot and cover with water, now boil away. Boil it till it falls apart! Add water if you need to, but keep it going.
When it's had enough and yells 'uncle' turn off the heat and start scooping out the chicken and the bones..put them in a bowl. Let them sit there to cool.
To the water left in the pot, add a bouillon cube and ohh about two cups of water. You're looking for a total of 4 cups of broth or better. If you have chicken broth in the can, you can use that instead, but still add an extra cup of water.
Get another pot and scoop out about 3 Cups of broth and transfer to the second pot. Now, start adding things to that broth..like salt, pepper..a cut up celery stalk and even some basil (wee bit) if you've got it.
Get out a bag of frozen mixed veggies or a large can, drained, or mix your own. Corn, peas, carrots. Use all fresh ones if you'd like. Add to the water and cook 10 mins if they are fresh, just warm them if they are frozen or canned. While that's cooking..it's chicken pickin time!

Pick every bit of chicken off those bones and put on a plate or in another bowl or just pile it on a clean counter, doesn't matter. ALL Of it..yep. Get every bit off.

Shred the chicken just a bit as you go. You don't' want large chunks. Taste your veggie broth. Does it need anything? Onion powder? Salt? Add it now and bring the broth to a slow simmer..reduce it down to about 2 cups.

Take ONE handfull of that chicken you just shredded (if you have enough..this is where you can get three meals) and put it in that first broth you made, the one you took the chicken out of. Put it away, in the fridge. Don't think about it anymore today. If you didn't have enough, that's ok..you still got two meals out of one bouncing chicken!
Put the rest of the chicken into the veggie/broth. Let it come to a slow simmer for about 10 minutes while you mix up some 'drop biscuits'. (or cut outs if you'd like)

Open a can of either 'cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup' and add it to the simmering chicken veggie pot. This should thicken things up a good bit. If it doesn't thicken it enough..and it should be like a heavy potato soup...take about a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix it with 1/4 c of cold water and pour into the chicken broth/veggie mix. Stir. That will thicken it. Heat your oven..350
Now, pour your thickened veggie chicken broth into a casserole dish and top it off with your biscuits. Use small spoonfulls to plop those little drop biscuits right on there ..cover the entire top.
Transfer to the oven and bake 20-30 minutes till biscuits are golden toasty!

No other 'sides' need to go with this. If you prefer to have one, a cold plate of cucumbers or tomatoes is good or a salad if you'd like.

Wow..we've taken care of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday already! How about that?!

Tomorrow we'll cover the rest of the week! Till then..happy Hedging!

Sage...the Hedgewife

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