One chicken, two meals

Cooking one roast to adapt later in the week saves on electricity as well as helping you feel proud that you’ve ticked two dinners off the weekly list in one go.

Meal one: roast chicken

Choosing a bigger bird might seem a bit more expensive but it should give you enough meat for a second meal. Don’t forget chicken needs to be fully cooked – the juices running out clear when the leg is pricked with a skewer.
Don’t forget: leave the bird to ‘rest’ for about 15 minutes after you’ve taken it out of the oven, before you carve it.

Storing leftovers

When you have carved for your roast dinner, leave the remaining meat and carcass to cool thoroughly, preferably not leaving it out for more than an hour or two. Store the meat in a freezer bag or sealed plastic container, in a fridge that has a temperature between 0 and 5 degrees C.

Don’t forget: The meat will keep better if it’s stripped off the bones.

Meal two: chicken stir-fry

Because the chicken has already been fully cooked, you can add it after you’ve thrown into your pan the garlic, chilli, spices and strips of favourite veg. It should be ready in about 10 minutes.
Don’t forget: Leftover meat should be eaten within a couple of days of first cooking.

Savvy tip:
Strip the skin off your serving of roast chicken to reduce your dinner’s calorie count.

Pass it on – get a thrifty third meal from your roast
Chicken rice: 
Take the chicken’s carcass (the bones and any small scraps of remaining meat still on them) and add it to 4-6 pints of water. Improvise other stock ingredients – small amounts of chopped celery, carrots, parsnip, herbs, whatever you fancy, avoiding potato as this would make the stock too sludgy. Boil, then simmer for 3 hours. Strain the stock and discard the veg and bones. Leave it to cool then freeze the stock or store in the fridge before using it to cook rice in. A tasty side dish or main course with salad.