So… what just happened?
We started with one $10 chicken.
No fancy ingredients.
No complicated recipes.
No overthinking.
And somehow…
👉 we ended up with seven completely different meals.
Not variations.
Not repeats.
👉 Seven genuinely different dishes.
The Meals We Created
From that one chicken, we made:
- A proper roast with vegetables
- A creamy chicken pasta
- A homemade chicken soup (from scratch stock)
- A Japanese-style noodle bowl
- A crispy open chicken melt
- A Mexican chicken wrap
- A fast, flavour-packed fried rice
But This Was Never About the Recipes
If you’re reading this thinking…
👉 “That’s a lot of meals from one chicken”
You’re right.
But that’s not the real takeaway.
This Was About Thinking Differently
Most people approach cooking like this:
👉 What do I need to buy to make this meal?
Chef Ian approaches it differently:
👉 What can I create from what I already have?
That one shift changes everything.
What You Actually Saw
You didn’t just see recipes.
You saw:
✔ Cooking once and using it properly
✔ Building meals instead of starting from scratch every time
✔ Using ingredients across multiple dishes
✔ Turning simple food into something you actually want to eat
The Shopping List Tells the Real Story
When you look at the full ingredient list…
It’s not overwhelming.
In fact, most of it is probably already in your kitchen.
👉 A few vegetables
👉 Some pantry staples
👉 A handful of flavour builders
And that’s it.
The Smart Part (This Is Where It All Comes Together)
Some ingredients showed up again and again:
- The chicken — across every meal
- The frozen vegetables — used in multiple dishes
- The cheese — across pasta, melt, and wrap
- The Smokey Tomato Relish — used as a shortcut flavour boost
- The stock — created once, used more than once
👉 Buy once. Use multiple times.
This Is How Chefs Actually Cook
Not from scratch every night.
Not with 30 ingredients.
Not by following recipes step by step.
👉 They prepare
👉 They plan
👉 They use what’s there
👉 They build meals from it
Cooking for One Was Never the Problem
It’s easy to think:
👉 “It’s too much effort”
👉 “I’ll end up eating the same thing all week”
👉 “It’s easier to just grab something”
But now you’ve seen something different.
You’ve seen that:
👉 One cook can become multiple meals
👉 Variety comes from how you use ingredients
👉 Simple food can still feel like a proper meal
The Real Outcome
This wasn’t about just saving money.
This wasn’t about stretching food.
This was about:
👉 Cooking smarter
👉 Feeling more confident
👉 Actually enjoying what you cook
Chef Ian’s Final Thought
“You don’t need more ingredients to cook better food…
You just need to use the ones you have properly.”
What’s Next?
If this made you think…
👉 “I could actually do this”
That’s exactly where it starts.
MASTER SHOPPING LIST - 7 Meals from One $10 Chicken
Core Protein
- 1 x Whole Chicken (approx. 1.6kg)
👉 Used across ALL meals
Vegetables (Fresh & Frozen)
Fresh Vegetables
- 2–3 onions
👉 Roast / Pasta / Wrap / Fried Rice - 2 carrots
👉 Roast / Stock - 1/4 pumpkin
👉 Roast - 2 potatoes
👉 Roast (cook extra for future use) - 2–3 celery stalks
👉 Stock / Soup / Fried Rice - 1 bunch bok choy
👉 Noodles / Fried Rice - 1 bunch choy sum
👉 Noodles / Fried Rice - 2 tomatoes
👉 Pasta / Open Melt / Wrap - 1 lime
👉 Wrap / Serving - 1 bunch spring onion
👉 Noodles / Fried Rice / Garnish - Fresh coriander
👉 Wrap
Frozen / Pantry Vegetables
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
👉 Pasta / Soup / Fried Rice - Corn (1 small tin or frozen)
👉 Open Melt / Wrap - Bean sprouts
👉 Noodle dish
Bakery & Grains
- Sourdough bread
👉 Open Melt - Wraps (pack of 2–4)
👉 Mexican Wrap - Rice (approx. 1–2 cups uncooked)
👉 Wrap / Fried Rice - Noodles (instant ramen and Rice Noodles)
👉 Noodle dish / Soup / Japanese Ramen
Dairy & Eggs
- Shredded cheese (approx. 150–200g)
👉 Pasta / Open Melt / Wrap - Cream (small carton)
👉 Pasta - Eggs (at least 2)
👉 Fried Rice / optional extras
Pantry & Flavour Builders
Core Pantry
- Olive oil
👉 Roast / General cooking - Vegetable oil
👉 Stir fry / Fried Rice - Sesame oil
👉 Fried Rice / Noodles - Black Beans
👉 Mexican Wrap / Soup - Sweet soy (kecap manis)
👉 Noodles / Fried Rice
Underground Chef / Featured Products
👉 Great example of “buy once, use multiple times”
Extras / Optional
MULTI-USE HIGHLIGHTS (THIS IS YOUR GOLD)
These are your “smart buys”:
- 🟡 Chicken → All 7 meals
- 🟡 Frozen mixed vegetables → Pasta / Soup / Fried Rice
- 🟡 Shredded cheese → Pasta / Melt / Wrap
- 🟡 Smokey Tomato Relish → Melt / Wrap
- 🟡 Rice → Wrap / Fried Rice
- 🟡 Spring onion → Noodles / Fried Rice / Garnish
- 🟡 Stock (from carcass) → Soup / Noodles
👉 This is the system in action
Final Note
One chicken.
Seven completely different meals.
👉 Not because it was special
👉 But because you approached it differently
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