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Chicken cranberry sliders.

Photo courtesy Dina Boucher

Chicken pot pie.

Photo courtesy Dina Boucher

Chicken from mamma’s kitchen

By Dina Boucher

Published 11:58 PDT, Fri June 7, 2024

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Continuing the series on affordable and easy to prepare recipes for seniors to manage, here is another menu idea that creates several meals in fact I tested it and produced 12 individual meals just to see how far I could stretch the servings.

On the weekend I bought a roasted chicken economically priced at $7.99. Here is how far I was able to stretch my budget. From lessons learned from my parents who I shared with you prior, both came from families of 8 brothers and sisters, these recipes from mamma’s kitchen can also work for families on a budget as well as for seniors. Once again, a recipe can be stretched by adding lots of vegetables fresh or frozen.

Meal 1: Sliced roasted chicken and whole cranberry sauce served with potatoes and a vegetable of choice makes a dinner for two. As taught by my parents how to create meals from leftovers the following are examples.

Meal 2: If you like chicken pot pie but find pastry a challenge the following recipe is easy and creates enough for 8 servings.

Step #1, You need one large pot

• Add 1 can cream of chicken soup

• Add ½ cup of water, ½ cup of milk

• Mix well and add

• 2 cups of leftover chicken cut up into small bite size

• 1 cup of sliced celery

• 2 cups of frozen peas, carrots and corn niblets

• ½ cup of chopped onion

• 2 small potatoes cut into bite size pieces

• Boil until semi-tender (drain water)

• ½ cup macaroni noodles

• Boil until semi-tender (rinse & drain)

• Add all vegetables into pot (stir)

• Season to your taste with salt & pepper

• Simmer one hour over low temperature

• Sir often letting flavours blend

Step #2 – Two Kaiser Buns

• Cut an opening across top/centre of the bun

• Use a fork to pack down bread inside

• Warm buns in the micro wave 30 seconds

• Place each bun on a dinner plate

• Scoop the chicken vegetable filling into the bun

Step #3 – Cabbage salad side dish

• Two cups of shredded cabbage

• ½ cup of moist dried cranberries (craisins)

• One slice of onion finely chopped

• One celery stem finely chopped

• Mix with coleslaw dressing

• Sprinkle paprika on top

Meal 3: Chicken cranberry sliders

• 6 dinner buns (don’t separate)

• Cut buns from side to side

• Cut only 90 per cent across

• Open like a book

• Butter both of the insides

• Evenly place leftover chicken on one side

• Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper

• Mix 6 tbsp. whole cranberry sauce

• With 2 tbsp. miracle whip and blend

• Spread on opposite side over butter

• Close buns like a closing a book

• Warm in micro wave 30 seconds

• Cut and serve as mini sandwiches

Imagine 12 meals from a $7.99 roasted chicken. These recipes are not gourmet servings, they are easy to prepare for a mother who has to prepare family meals after working all day or for seniors who love the flavour of home cooked meals but have limited resources.