Whether you’re looking to lower your environmental impact, or are tired of paying more for individual pieces, taking on a whole chicken is the way to go. Buy the roaster and bake it to a golden crisp à la Julia Child or break it down for individual dishes – either way, the real winner here is leftover bones for stock. Looking for meal ideas? We’ve got a roundup of recipes for each part of the chicken, from breast to bones so you can use every bit of your fowl. You- yes you!- can handle a whole chicken. Don’t be intimidated by the entire bird- you’ve got this.

Breaking Down the Bird

All you really need to become an amateur in-home butcher is a sharp knife, a clean cutting board, and some patience. If you want to get real about properly breaking down a whole chicken, Serious Eats and Food52 have awesome guides should you need some help with your knife skills. Looking for videos? Serious Eats and BuzzfeedFood both have great how-tos. Or, you can skip the breakdown and make a Perfect Roast Chicken instead- no knife required.