Have you wanted to try a pasture raised whole chicken, but don't know how to cook it?

Maybe thinking about serving a whole bird for dinner seems a bit overwhelming and intimidating.

I'm here to help! I have a few easy recipes that are simple and delicious! And recipes to show you how to make your whole chicken last for days!

I tasted my first pasture raised chicken 10 years ago, and was amazed at the flavor! At first, I didn't know what to do with an entire chicken, but I have found so many options, and cooking and using a whole chicken can last you more than just one meal. It's an easy way to save time, money, and still feed your family a nutritious meal!

Cooking a Whole Chicken

The easiest way to cook a whole chicken is in the crock pot. It's pretty hands off, you can put the bird in, and not have to think about it until dinnertime! Pull all of the meat off the bones from your whole baked chicken. You can put it in the fridge to use right away, or you can freeze the meat for later!

Ingredients:
1, 4-5 pound Rare Breed Farms Pastured Whole Chicken
1/2 cup grass fed butter
3-5 Carrots
3 stalks Celery
1/2 onion Garlic
1 T dried Sage (or 1/2 cup fresh sage)
Salt and Paper to taste

Steps:
Cut up carrots and celery and slice onions, and cover the bottom of your crock pot. Place the whole chicken, breast side up, on top of the vegetables. Cut butter into several pats and place on top of the chicken. Or you can rub the chicken all over with butter. Add garlic around the outside of the chicken, and sprinkle the sage, salt, and pepper all over the top of the chicken. Cover, and set your slow cooker to low. It should take 6 - 8 hours depending on the size of your chicken. It's done when the internal thigh temperature is 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Salad

I think chicken salad must be one of my comfort foods. It reminds me of summertime lunches and mom's leftover chicken from dinner the night before. My mom was great at making a meal stretch and still taste good!

Ingredients:
2 + cups shredded chicken from your whole chicken dinner
A couple of tablespoons mayonnaise (more or less per taste)
A squirt of mustard Salt and pepper
1 T chopped onion

Steps:
Place chicken in a glass bowl Add mayonnaise and mustard and mix well. You may need to add more or less mayo depending on taste and how moist or dry you prefer your chicken salad. We like lots of mayo! Add salt, pepper, and onion and mix well.

If you want to dress up your chicken salad, we like to add chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and chopped celery. Serve on fresh baked whole wheat bread, or on a veggie wrap. Maybe add some sprouts on top. I like to eat mine on a lettuce leaf with a side of fruit. You can make your chicken salad up early and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to serve.

Fresh Salad with Baked Chicken

We eat a lot of salad around here. Especially in the spring and summer when the garden is full of fresh veggies! I don't know about you, but I need easy during those hot and busy summer months. This meal covers all you need!

Ingredients:
Your favorite salad ingredients...lettuce, spinach, kale, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, peppers etc.
Shredded or chopped chicken from your whole chicken
2 or 3 boiled pastured eggs chopped
Shredded cheese (optional)

We like to add......corn, black beans, diced red onion, and avocado

Steps:
Toss all of your vegetables in a large bowl. Place the other ingredients into separate small serving bowls. This way you can "build" your salad. Add the chicken on top last. We serve the chicken cold, but you can certainly warm it up in the oven if you want. Add your favorite salad dressing and serve! If I have it on hand, I add a side slice of whole wheat bread and butter or muffins or some other specialty bread. We separate some of the ingredients because they can make the rest of the salad heavy or wet. It can get kind of gross, especially if you have any left over!

Before you throw that chicken carcass away!

Learn how to make a healing bone broth, the EASY way!

And for my popular Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe, click here.

You should stop by our farm store and pick up your Rare Breed Farms whole chicken for dinner!

Your friendly farmer,

Tabitha