Kitchen 101: Eating for One – 7 Meals from One $10 Chicken (Part 1: The Roast)

Cooking for one shouldn’t mean eating the same meal three nights in a row… or giving up and ordering takeaway.

In this new Kitchen 101 series, Chef Ian shows you how to take one $10 chicken and turn it into 7 different meals — all under $5 each.

This isn’t about stretching food for the sake of it.
This is about thinking like a chef — using smart prep, simple systems, and getting the most out of what you already have.

We start where every good kitchen does…
👉 with a proper roast.

Recipe Overview (Meal 1)

• Dish: Roast Chicken with Vegetables & Gravy
• Serves: 1 (with extra veg for later use)
• Cost per serve: Under $5
• Appliance: Ninja 11-in-1 (Roast Mode)
• Time: ~1 hour

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 x 1.6kg whole chicken (ALDI approx. $10)
• Olive oil
• Underground Chef Greek Souvlaki Zest
• Olsson’s Salts Sea Salt Flakes
• Underground Chef Mélange of Peppercorns

Vegetables (cook extra on purpose)

• 1 whole potato (yields 2 serves)
• Pumpkin (chunked)
• Carrot (chunked)

Greens (for plating)

• Frozen peas
• Green beans

Gravy

• Pan juices
• Gravox (classic pantry staple)

‍Method / Instructions

Step 1: Roast the Chicken

1. Preheat Ninja on Roast Mode
2. Rub chicken with:
   • Olive oil
   • Greek Souvlaki Zest
   • Salt & Mélange pepper
3. Roast for ~45 minutes until golden and cooked through
4. Remove chicken, cover loosely with foil and rest

Step 2: Roast the Vegetables

1. Add chopped potato, pumpkin, and carrot to the same pan
2. Toss through remaining juices
3. Roast until golden and tender

👉 Chef Tip:
Cook more than you need. One potato = two meals.
That’s not leftovers… that’s forward planning.

Step 3: Manage the Pan (Old-School Trick)

• Use bread crusts to absorb excess fat
• Leave behind the flavour-rich juices

👉 This gives you the base for a proper gravy — no waste, no fuss

Step 4: Make the Gravy

• Add Gravox to pan juices
• Stir and heat until smooth

Simple. Classic. Works every time.

Step 5: Plate Like a Pro

• 1 chicken thigh portion
• Roast veg
• Peas & beans for freshness
• Finish with gravy

👉 This is not “cooking for one”
👉 This is eating properly

What Happens Next (The System Begins)

This is where most people stop…
Chef Ian is just getting started.

After dinner:

• Break down the remaining chicken
• Separate:
  • Breast meat
  • Thigh meat
• Portion into ~100g packs
• Refrigerate or freeze

✔ Future meals sorted
✔ No waste
✔ No boredom

And don’t forget…

👉 The carcass = liquid gold (stock for another meal)

Chef’s Tips

• Chicken thigh = flavour + forgiveness (perfect for reheating)
• Seasoning matters — simple, but done properly
• Cook once, think ahead — this is how chefs save time and money
• Don’t fear repeats — just don’t repeat the same meal

Serving Notes

This is your comfort anchor meal in the series.

Warm, familiar, satisfying — but also the launchpad for six completely different dishes to come.

Make-Ahead Hack

Cook extra veg intentionally:

• Add to salads
• Toss through pasta
• Use in wraps
• Blend into soup

Skill Focus

• Roasting fundamentals
• Portion control for one
• Kitchen systems (prep once, cook multiple times)
• Turning “leftovers” into planned meals

Final Thought from Chef Ian

“Cooking for one isn’t the problem…
Cooking without a plan is.

Give me one chicken and a bit of thought —
and I’ll give you a week of proper meals.”

Watch the Full Tutorial 👉 Here