Once you have your Rocky Chicken ready to go, the fun begins: Shred for tacos, or prepare as needed to make some of the easy weeknight options we have gathered in our weekly ad, or read on for other recipe inspiration. As a final prepping step, use what remains to make a homemade soup or stock for future meals. (Pro Tip: Save your chicken leftovers and vegetable scraps in a bag in your freezer to make stock on your own timeline.)

We’ve got the Rocky Chicken story, tips for whole chicken and Rotisseries chicken, and tasty recipes below, so that you can plan some meal prep this week that will give you more time, healthy, flavorful homemade meals, and save some money, too!

Petaluma Poultry/ROCKY® Chicken

If you live in Sonoma County, you hear a lot about ROCKY® the Free Range Chicken, but do you know the full story?

Allen Shainsky was born into a family of egg farmers and developed his passion and respect for poultry at an early age. He founded Petaluma Poultry in 1969 and dedicated his life to growing chickens with the utmost care while being mindful of the land.

In the 1980’s San Francisco Bay Area chefs challenged him to produce a chicken that had the “old fashioned” chicken flavor reminiscent of their culinary training in Europe. Shainsky spent months in France researching poultry husbandry and returned to implement back to basics growing techniques. This included an all-vegetarian diet with no animal by-products, no antibiotics, no artificial hormones or steroids and a change in the animal’s environment that allowed them more room to roam naturally.

Because of this, the ROCKY® brand became one of the first free range chickens that satisfied chefs as well as growing consumer base that wanted healthy, tasty birds while leaving a small environmental footprint.

Petaluma Poultry started organic protocols 10 years before the USDA allowed meat and poultry to be labeled organic. They fought to establish a defined organic certification program to help clear up the confusion in the marketplace. Thus, in 1999 the ROSIE® brand became the first third party certified organic chicken on the market to earn the USDA Organic seal.

Whole Rocky Chicken on Sale this Week

Ah, the wonders of a classic Whole Chicken. Roast it up as is and then follow the tips below for getting the most from a roasted chicken OR check out these simple steps from the team at Martha Stewart for cutting up a chicken into 6, 8, or 10 pieces to roast or fry.

Roast your whole chicken with simple seasoning or try out this tasty Tyler Florence recipe for Citrus Roasted Whole Chicken courtesy of Petaluma Poultry.

Make your Roast Chicken the focus with this recipe for Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables.

Rocky Rotisserie Chickens at Oliver’s

Starting your meal prep with a Rotisserie Chicken from Oliver’s is a great move, especially with our special pricing this week. These mouthwatering birds always come from Petaluma Poultry’s Rocky Chicken program, and they’re roasted fresh daily and available in our Delis after 11 AM in all four of our stores. With a selection of flavors to choose from and the quality you expect, a Rotisserie Chicken from Oliver’s in the easy way to make dinner delicious every time!

Make the Most of Your Chicken – Proper Carving

Get the most from your Rocky Whole Roasted or Rotisserie Chicken by utilizing proper carving technique. This time-tested method may be the bane of Thanksgiving chefs the world over, but we promise – it is SO much easier than you think. All you’ll need is your favorite Rocky Chicken, a sharp knife, and a sturdy cutting board!

By the time you get your Rotisserie Chicken home, it should already be well-rested. (If you are roasting a chicken, allow 20 minutes of resting time.) Carefully use a pair of kitchen shears to remove any remaining twine, then set the chicken on a prepared cutting board.

Start with the legs: Using your knife, separate the leg from the breast by slicing downward at the thigh joint. When your knife meets resistance, use your hands to gently pull the thigh away from the main body, disconnecting the joint. Cut along the bottom of the bird to free the leg completely. If desired, you can then separate this in a thigh and drumstick by slicing at the joint.

Remove the breast: Find the breastbone with your finger, then cut along one side to separate it from the meat of the breast. Once separated, work your knife slowly and carefully from the back of the breast to the front, following the shape of the breastbone. At the wishbone, carefully work your knife through the cartilage to separate the breast completely. Repeat on the other side.

Finally, to remove the wing, carve around the joint to separate the entire wing from the breast. You can also further carve the breasts into thin slices, if desired.

This is the easiest way to get the maximum amount of meat from your Rocky Whole Chicken, which means more to enjoy at dinnertime and more bang for your buck!

Recipe Ideas

Grab a Rocky Rotisserie Chicken for a couple of meals right away, and a Whole Rocky Chicken for another group of meals later in the week.

Here are some delicious recipe suggestions:

• Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
• Vietnamese Chicken Wraps
• Easy Chile Verde Chicken Enchiladas
• Easy Chicken Tacos
• Thai Chicken Soup with Imagine Broth
• Slow Cooker Bone Broth
• Buffalo Chicken Dip

Storing your Chicken

Rotisserie chicken can be stored in the fridge for 3–4 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Package your chicken in an airtight container or Zip-loc bag for best results.

So there you have it, Oliver’s customers! We hope you will add a little meal prep to your life this week starting with ROCKY® Chicken and enjoy the quality, extra time, and economy that meal prep can deliver!