I usually buy pasta sauce, rather than make it—especially in the Winter when tomatoes are cardboard mush. It’s edible poured straight from the jar, but much, much better when doctored.

Here are my tips for the tastiest sauce ever:

Assemble a jar of sauce (I used Tomato, Basil & Onion), oil, salt/pepper, chopped garlic, some Smart Balance, & dried Italian Seasoning. Again, this is what I like. You can add or subtract according to your own personal taste.

It should make 4 average-sized servings, 2 for big eaters, and 1 enormous mixing bowl full for the Hungry Bears amoung us (Yes, I’m talking about my fella). Seriously, some men can eat an entire box of pasta—don’t let them.

Do you make pasta sauce or buy it? What do you add to it?

People tend to eat whatever is put in front of them. If whole pieces of chicken are served, most of us will eat that entire piece and often another. This has a high cost—both in cash and calories. I find that by cooking and then shredding, you get a much better value. A small amount of shreds looks like a lot when piled up—especially if mixed with another filler.

Start with whole, bone-in chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless breasts can also be used, however, they are more expensive and less juicy. Totally depends on personal preference; I like the bone-in. I bought a package that contained 5, but if you’re cooking for a crowd, just increase to suit your needs.

Place chicken on a metal baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with Pam. Coat chicken with oil. (If you’re fancy, use a pastry brush. I’m not, so I just use a crumpled paper towel.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. The internal temp. must reach 165 degrees. A digital thermometer is handy and for extra assurance, I always cut into a piece.

Allow the chicken to cool until easy to handle. If you’re watching calories, discard the skin. If, like me, you consider that the best part, sneak a few bites. Shred the meat by hand. I toss the bones, but some folks save them to make soup.

3 pieces shredded fills half of a 4-quart mixing bowl. The uses for this chicken are truly endless. It can be used to top a salad, make soup, made into a casserole. It can be eaten plain, mixed with salad dressing, or BBQ sauce. It can even be mixed with  potatoes for a one-dish meal.

The amount of servings depends on what it’s made into. Tonight, I’m serving half of it with the roast potatoes. I will save the other half for tomorrow’s dinner. Check back to see what I’m making!

What are your favorite ways to save money on chicken?

While I love potatoes in most any form, I’m especially fond of having them oven-roasted.  Here is a Step-by-Step tutorial to help you make them at home. You will need whole potatoes,

onions,

chicken broth, garlic, salt/pepper, and oil.

Assemble all of your ingredients. Wash, peel, and cube the potatoes, then fill a 9×13 Pyrex.

I used 7 medium-sized Russets.

Peel and dice two onions. I used yellow, any type is fine. Add to the potatoes, along with salt/pepper to taste, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 Tbs chopped garlic and 2 Tbs of oil (I used Veggie, Olive oil is equally good).  You may also use herbs—parsley, crushed rosemary, thyme. I didn’t today.

You should now have something that resembles this:

Put it into a 400-degree oven. Check after 30 minutes and stir. Cook for an additional 45 minutes.  (Remember, all cooking times are approximate!) After 1 hour and 15 minutes of total cooking time, you will have something truly delicious!

As you can see, the finished product fills an entire dinner plate. For average-sized eaters, that will be at least 4 servings, provided you have a main course and other sides. Typically, I serve this with chicken or steak. It’s great for any meat meal or with fish. If you’re serving a dairy meal, simply omit the chicken broth and use water instead.

What’s your favorite potato dish?