Every time I go to Costco, I pick up two of their rotisserie chickens. Sometimes I pick up three. We call the rotisserie chickens “lucky chickens” because you can call yourself lucky to get dinner that night. If I pick up three, one is for dinner, and the other two are shredded and stored in the freezer for recipes that call for shredded chicken. If you haven’t had one, the Costco rotisserie chickens are very tasty. I know that Sam’s Club sells them, too, and they are very similar in taste and cost. The Costco rotisserie chickens are only $4.99, making them a great deal.
When all is said and done, I am left with two or three carcasses. I don’t let those go to waste if I can help it. I make chicken stock with them. Making your own chicken stock is quite easy.
- Place the chicken carcasses in a pot and cover with water.
- Place any leftover vegetables in the pot with the carcasses.
- Add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for several hours.
- Remove the bones and strain the liquid through a strainer.
- Place in a freezable container.
For the vegetables, I use the ones I chop and slice on meal prep days. Any vegetable ends that I cut off are thrown in the water with the carcass, such as celery leaves, onion ends, brussels sprout ends, carrot tops, green pepper tops, green bean tips, asparagus stems, etc. The celery and onion are the most important vegetables because they give the broth a rich flavor. I also throw in some garlic, which is extra. Sometimes, if I don’t have a carcass yet, I put all the vegetable ends in a plastic freezer bag and store them in the freezer until I have what I need.
When the stock is ready, I remove the larger bones from the water and strain it through a mesh strainer to remove any remaining bits and bones. The remaining broth goes into glass, quart canning jars, which I place in the freezer. One day I would like to can the broth to make it shelf stable, but I need special canning equipment for that. To can anything associated with meat, one must have a pressure canner. I have a water bath canner, but meat products cannot be canned in it. A water bath canner is not the same as a pressure canner. I store the broth-filled jars in my freezer until I am ready to use them. I can pull them out and thaw them for meals to come together quickly.
Perhaps you can try using Homemade Chicken Stock in one of the following soup recipes:
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