Cooking during the school year, coupled with the upcoming holidays, tests the patience of the most accomplished home chefs. Time pressure, food preferences and the high cost of ingredients add to the stress.

Take-out food does not solve the problem. Especially when it comes to costs. Checking out supermarket sales and economy packs can offer solutions.

Chicken usually proves our saving grace. Large family-size packs of drumsticks deliver lean protein for reasonable costs.. Leftovers make fun lunchbox additions.

In the time it takes to heat the oven, you can season the chicken and arrange it on the roasting pan. Alternatively, cook the chicken drumsticks in batches in an air fryer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serving the chicken with a simple dipping sauce, such as bottled barbecue sauce or a homemade curry-spiked peanut dipping sauce, eliminates boredom.

Slide a tray of frozen sweet potato chunks into the oven alongside the chicken. Quickly cooked broccoli florets, tossed with a little olive oil and coarse salt make a fresh green accompaniment.

Shortcuts to home-cooked chicken come in the form of rotisserie chicken — consider buying two when they are on sale. Likewise, for the even easier-to-use packages of grilled chicken breast strips; use one package tonight and freeze a second package for later. Look for brands made from chicken raised without antibiotics and cooked without fake flavors or preservatives.

Cooked, diced chicken with a few fresh ingredients, makes a hearty salad that keeps several days in the refrigerator. Serve the salad over warm cooked rice (use pouched rice to save time) or cooked pasta for a fast weekday dinner.

Roasted Chicken Drums with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 servings

8 chicken drumsticks, about 2 1/2 pounds total

2 teaspoons mild curry powder

1/2 teaspoon each: ground cumin, salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the dipping sauce:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 or 2 skinny green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro or chives for serving, optional

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet in a single uncrowded layer. Mix curry powder, cumin and salt in a small dish. Season chicken on all sides with the mixture. Drizzle with oil after seasoning. Roast, turning drums once or twice, until golden, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for dipping sauce, mix peanut butter, yogurt, 1/4 cup water, soy sauce, vinegar and curry powder in small bowl until smooth. Sprinkle with green onions.

3. Serve chicken sprinkled with herbs, if desired. Pass dipping sauce.

Chicken and Apple Salad over Rice

Makes 4 servings

Note: Rinsing the chopped onion in a strainer removes some of the sting of a raw onion.

1 package (16 ounces) cooked chicken breast strips, or 4 cups cooked boneless skinless rotisserie chicken

1 large Honeycrisp apple, quartered, cored

2 ribs celery, diced

3 or 4 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, well rinsed, drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans

1/3 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to tastes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups warm cooked brown or white rice

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Put into a large bowl. Cut apple into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the chicken along with the celery, rinsed onion, almonds, vinaigrette, oil and black pepper. Refrigerate covered up to 2 days, if desired.

2. Shortly before serving, warm in the microwave oven, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with half of the cilantro.

3. Spoon chicken salad over warm cooked rice. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2024 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.