2017 Cookbook Challenge Week 2 - Chicken Fricassee
For week two of my cookbook challenge I chose to make something from my vintage copy of "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook" which was published in 1950.
"Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book", 1950
Nothing is better on a cold winter's day than comfort food, so decided to make Chicken Fricassee. Basically, this is pieces of chicken, carrots, celery and gravy poured over rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodle or dumplings. I chose to make mine to pour over egg noodles. It was a fairly simple recipe to follow, although the base recipe for stewed chicken did take a couple of hours, so isn't a last minute meal and does require some planning.
I really like the setup of this cookbook. Many of their recipes start out with a simple base recipe and then build on that recipe to make other things. In the case of chicken fricassee, I started with the recipe for stewed chicken and then from that could make a variety of dishes like chicken pie, chicken and mushrooms and of course the chicken fricassee that I chose.
Meal 1: Chicken Fricassee over egg noodles
This recipe made a ton of food, at least 6 full meals. The chicken itself cost less than $4, so cost for each meal was minimal. For the first meal we poured it over egg noodles. For the second meal, I made mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts and served the fricassee with that. The rest of the chicken and gravy I froze to make soup at a later date.
Meal 2: Chicken Fricassee with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts
Week 2 Roundup:
Cookbook: "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook", 1950
Recipe: Chicken Fricassee
Difficulty: Easy, but plan for a few hours to make the stewed chicken.
Alterations: We wanted some green vegetables, so I added broccoli to it
Result: Probably not the most healthy meal, but very good
Make again?: Yes, but I may remove most of the chicken's skin next time, to make it a bit healthier