Challenger AmyC is starting off week three of the Cook at Home challenge by making our mouths water! It’s another great lesson in how home cooking can be quick and economical – she used the chicken from one meal to make stock for another.

I had dreams of the delicious dinner made last night. The flavors and goodness were unlike anything I had eaten before and I believe it’s due in part to just feeling good about making meals at home but also because of our homemade chicken stock which was bursting with flavor!!!!!

In a previous entry I had submitted, it was for a roasted chicken dish with vegetables. What I didn’t share at that time was after having eaten from the whole chicken my husband and I used the remains to boil into our own broth which was loaded with onion, celery and carrots along with spices to kick up the taste. This simmered for roughly 4 hours and was later converted into broth that we froze for future use.

Last night that chicken stock lead to one of my favorite dishes made at home. In one sauce pan garlic, broccoli and a bit of stock was sauteed while in a separate pot the rice cooked with slow additions of the chicken stock for absorption. As a final touch prior to tossing with the broccoli mixture we added Peccorino cheese (Parmesan works too), gave the whole mixture a final toss and as you can see from the photo it’s a one dish show stopper!! Bon Appetit.

This is one of those feel-good comfort meals that can be completely guilt-free and a healthy addition to any family menu. Not only did challenger AmyC and her family enjoy this roasted chicken meal, but she shares how it can be saved for more meals. Healthy and economical – that’s delicious!

Not only has the cook at home challenge inspired me to cook more at home but it has also inspired me to try new meals. While I was out grocery shopping over the weekend my husband and I decided we were going to make a meal that not only was new for us to make but also would create many different meals throughout the week saving time and money. So we roasted our first chicken!! I have to add that the whole chicken purchased was from a local farm that does not use any hormones or antibiotics, the animals are grain fed not some altered feed to plump them up quickly and the animals are also allowed to roam free and outdoors. All of these are a MUST for me and my family in order to be able to eat and appreciate our meal.

So, the next steps are pretty simple. We decided to brine the chicken, which essentially helps lock in the juices while cooking. We soaked the chicken in salted water for an hour prior to cooking. My recommendation is plan ahead for this because our meal was ready to eat at 10pm Next we buttered up the chicken in our baking dish and sprinkled with salt and pepper for seasoning. The vegetables to roast were placed around the chicken and all was then put in the oven.

I love these one dish meals because I don’t have to worry about many pots on the stove and food items being completed at different times. Despite eating much later than we ever do, the meal was delicious and with the remaining chicken left over we will make a chicken broth for soup, as well as have chicken tacos and maybe add some to a chicken stir-fry.

Challenger AmyC makes this cooking at home thing look simple and delicious. Oh yeah, and healthy too! Now doesn’t that plate of pasta with fresh basil make you hungry?

I am so excited for the opportunity for a healthy kitchen makeover. For my submisson I put my own spin on pasta by using whole grain noodles and doing a quick and easy toss with olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes. Topped with sprinkles of pepper and salt to serve. This meal works for both lunch and dinner and helps me get a healthy meal on the table for my family.

Watch now as Cook at Home Challenger AmyC shows how simple meals are just as enjoyable as the complex, and allow more face-time with the family.

When I first heard about the cook at home challenge I loved the concept as more families need to come together and the dinner table is a perfect starting place. I wanted to get my family together so I made a simple pasta recipe that is super quick so I could spend more time enjoying food and spending time with my husband. We have really enjoyed the time at home.