Charred chicken led to my new favorite cheap stew
I was frying some chicken thighs I got on sale, and my phone rang. I got distracted and came back to a smoky kitchen and blackened meat. It was supposed to be lunches for the week, and I felt pretty dumb. Instead of tossing it, I scraped off the worst bits and chopped up what was left. I threw it in a pot with a can of tomatoes, some dried beans I had soaked, and whatever spices were on hand. Let it simmer for an hour, and it became a thick, filling stew. Ate it for three days straight, and it cost next to nothing. Sometimes a kitchen fail is just a chance to get creative with what you have.