They're usually sold in ten pound bags and not flash frozen, leaving people a bit nervous about buying that much chicken if they've not done bulk cooking before. Here are some idea when you see those bags on sale and can't pass them up!

Make soup
You can always just cut off the fatty portions, if any, simmer the chicken for broth, and make a variety of different chicken soups with it. In general, about 2 pounds of chicken parts would net you about 2 quarts of broth. You'll probably want to do this in batches, unless you have a huge kettle! Add some onions, carrots, celery, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. Pick of the meat and use some in the soups and some in other casseroles.

Freeze for later use
As an aside, you don't want generally want to thaw the chicken and refreeze without cooking. But you can easily pull out some of the quarters and freeze in freezer bags with some marinade. The chicken will marinate while it's defrosting. You can use store-bought bottled marinades and dressings or mix up your own. Later you can barbecue them or just dump the whole bag of chicken and marinade in the crockpot or a roasting pan.

Bake and Freeze
Cut them into legs and thighs and follow your favorite oven-baked chicken recipe, then freeze. Lay them on a cookie sheet in your freezer until they are frozen solid; then put them into freezer bags. Later you can take out just the quantity you need for a quick dinner or pack them up for a picnic!

Bake, Tear Apart and Freeze
To use in casseroles calling for cooked chicken, put them into a roast pan, bake them up in the oven, let cool a bit, and then pick off all the meat. Use in recipes calling for cooked chicken, including various casseroles, burritos, enchiladas, chicken pot pies, chicken salad for sandwiches, pasta dishes, soups, and salads.

Barbecue
Chicken quarters easy and good to barbecue, using store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce, of course. You can leave them in quarters or cut them apart into the legs and thighs if you want smaller portions.

Tips for cooking Chicken
1. For a richer flavor, season and marinate your chicken for 24 hours before cooking and store it in the refrigerator. The longer you keep chicken in a marinade, the more it’ll be infused with flavor.

2. To keep meals healthier, marinate chicken in seasoned fruit juice or chicken broth or use Canola Oil for oil-based marinades before grilling or broiling. Always store chicken in the fridge while it marinates, even if you only plan to let it soak for 30 minutes.

3. Use bold seasonings like freshly grated lemon peel, minced hot peppers, fresh herbs, and infused vinegars to add flavor to chicken dishes without adding fat.

4. Sautéed chicken tastes great, but can be fattening if you use oil or butter. Instead, eliminate the need for oil and butter by using Canola Harvest Non-Stick Spray. Trim all visible fat from cuts of chicken and add some onions, green peppers, and spices.

5. Drying out chicken by overcooking it can ruin its taste. To get around this problem, use a cooking thermometer to determine when your chicken is cooked just right. The internal temperature of a whole chicken should reach 180 degrees F and chicken breasts should be cooked to a temperature of 170 degrees F. Another way to see if chicken is done is to pierce the thickest part of the meat to see if the juices run clear. If they’re clear and not pink, the chicken is ready.

6. When baking a whole chicken, it’s best to keep the skin on to avoid drying out the meat. The skin helps hold in the juices and flavor of the meat. It can be easily removed after cooking.

7. One of the best ways to cook a very juicy, tender, and flavorful chicken is to soak it in salt water, also known as brine, before cooking. To create good brine, dissolve a half-cup of salt and a half-cup of brown sugar in a gallon of water. Immerse the chicken completely in the solution and place it in the refrigerator right away. You may want to weight the chicken with a plate to keep it completely immersed. Let the chicken soak in the brine for 3 to 12 hours. Before cooking the chicken, make sure to rinse off the excess brine with fresh water and dry completely with paper towels. Brine works by allowing moisture to pass through the meat more easily. This process adds moisture to chicken, infuses the meat with more flavor, and shortens cooking time. It’s important to note that brined chicken will cook faster than chicken that has not been pre-treated, because water is a better conductor of heat than meat.

8. Another way to make tasty, tender chicken is to add it to a salt-and-sugar rub. For chicken breasts, blend 1/3 cup of course salt and 1/3 cup of brown sugar with a mixture of your favorite seasonings. A tablespoon each of ground black pepper, paprika and chili powder are good seasonings to spice up this mix. In a large resealable plastic bag, rub the entire mixture evenly over the chicken, seal up bag, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. You may find it easier to use several bags in this instance. When ready to cook, rinse the chicken breasts thoroughly to remove the salt-and-sugar rub and dry the breasts with paper towels. The chicken is then ready for cooking.

9. Leftover chicken is great for lunches. It can be heated up or eaten cold. When reheating leftover chicken, cover the dish to retain moisture and flavor.