How to Stretch a Meal

First let me preface this post with the statement that you better enjoy chicken before you continue reading.  Having said that, I am pretty satisfied with how long I was able to stretch 2 large chicken breasts over a variety of meals this week.

Monday Dinner

On Monday morning I took 2 large chicken breasts from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge during the day.  That evening I took them out, and defrosted them a little more in the microwave.  I threw some salt, pepper, dried basil, dried parsley, poultry seasoning, and crushed red pepper on both sides and placed them on a grill.  It was probably the best grill job I’d ever done.  The outside was perfectly golden while the inside was fully cooked.  I made a salad; and heated up a steam-fresh bag of broccoli, cheddar, and rice.

I took one half of a remaining breast and placed it in a plastic container with some leftover broccoli, cheddar, and rice.  I put the other full breast in a separate plastic container.

Tuesday Lunch

Tuesday’s lunch was a repeat of Monday night’s dinner.  Quick and easy, just pop in the microwave and re-heat.

Tuesday Dinner

I took one half of the remaining chicken breast and sliced it into very thin strips at an angle, similar to what people do with turkey or ham.  I boiled some pasta and sauce, and threw the chicken in.  I made another salad and had another complete meal.

Wednesday Lunch

Later that evening, I took the remaining chicken breast and chopped it into smaller pieces.  I took out my magic bullet, threw in some celery and mayonnaise and blended it together.  Then I added black pepper, a slice of cheese, some bread, and now I have a chicken salad sandwich.

Time and Money

One of the reasons I find it difficult to make complete dinners is it can be hard to find the time on evenings to prepare everything.  You get home late from work, you stop at the gym, and by the time you get home the last thing you want to do is cook.  But with the examples above, you can take a few shortcuts.  Monday all I had to do was throw some spices on the chicken, place it in a grill and dress up a salad.  On Tuesday, since the chicken was already cooked, all I had to do was boil pasta.  For Wednesday, I took the leftover chicken and blended it with mayo and celery.  Each meal took 10-15 minutes to prepare.

From a cost standpoint, I got 4 meals out of 2 chicken breasts.  Throw in some spices and condiments, veggies, a couple salads, a slice of cheese, and 2 slices of bread.  Very inexpensive for the value I got out of everything.

All it takes is a little creativity and planning.  You can eat nutritious meals throughout the week and still have the time to do all the things you enjoy.