Let me add a little info about chicken that may be more info than you want. The term "free range" when it comes to meat birds is a marketing ploy with no meaning whatsoever. All that the USDA requires to call birds "free range" is that a door is shown on the plans of the chicken house, whether or not that door is ever opened and whether or not the birds ever go out and regardless of the quality of the range. Meat birds are hybrids, bred to put on weight so fast that by the time they are halfway to slaughter weight, they can hardly walk. (Slaughter weight is 6-8 weeks; they would never survive to sexual maturity as their hearts and bone structure would give out.) They're not going far from the feed trough. The ONLY way to get a real "free range" meat bird is to find a small local grower who raises what's called "pastured poultry." These birds are raised in bottomless cages on pasture; the farmer pulls the cage daily to fresh, green grass and the birds inside waddle along with it. Almost always, they are slaughtered at the farm and pick up is usually at the farm. I know about this because I raised pastured poultry for 7 years, and though my partner and I no longer do it, we are lucky enough to be able to buy pastured poultry from a couple who started up after we quit. BTW, the term "free range" for eggs does have real meaning, and free range eggs are well worth searching out. Egg birds will range far and wide, searching for the insects and other goodies that make their eggs so delicious and healthy. But for meat birds, the farmer has to bring the birds to the goodies, hence "pastured poultry."

If you'll Google "leftover chicken" (and put it in quotes), you'll get a ton of recipes. Some more suggestions for you: SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 2 Tblsp. olive or canola oil 1 cup finely chopped onion 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken 1/2 tsp. salt 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 12 corn tortillas 1/2 cup shortening, oil or lard (optional) 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. white pepper 2 cups sour cream 1/2 cup (4 oz.) chopped green chiles 2 Tblsp. chopped cilantro Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. The Filling: Sauté the onion in the oil just until softened. Add the shredded chicken, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to combine. Set aside and allow to cool. Add the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and mix thoroughly. The Tortillas: Soften the corn tortillas by one of the following methods: · Wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and microwaving for 40 seconds, · Wrapping tightly in aluminum foil and heating in the oven for 5 minutes, or · Heating the shortening, oil or lard in a skillet and, using tongs, dipping each tortilla for 15 seconds in the hot oil, letting the excess drip back into the skillet. Drain the softened tortillas on paper sacks as they are cooked. Place an equal amount of the chicken mixture on each of the 12 tortillas, roll them up and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish. The Sauce: Over medium heat in a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for a minute or so. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Reduce the heat, or remove from the burner, and stir in the sour cream and green chiles. Do not allow sauce to boil, but gently heat through. Pour the sauce evenly over the tortillas in the dish, and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve hot. Makes four servings of three enchiladas each. **Note: Of the three methods given for softening the tortillas, the heated oil method is by far the most satisfactory, from the standpoint of both taste and texture. Predictably, it is also more trouble (and more fattening) than the other two options, but you should be aware of the best way to prepare this dish. Source: Texascooking.com. NALANIS CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE 3 to 4 cups cubed or shredded chicken, cooked 1/2 cups butter or margarine 1/2 cups flour 2-1/2 cups light cream or milk (You may substitute 1-1/2 cup milk and 1 cup sherry, I like this combo the best) 2-1/2 cups chicken broth 3/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese juice of one lemon 1 Tblsp. prepared mustard 1 Tblsp. chopped parsley 2 Tblsp. finely chopped onion 2-1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. rosemary 3/4 cups mayonnaise 2 boxes (10 oz.) frozen or fresh broccoli, cut in bite size pieces 1 (8 oz.) pkg. fresh mushrooms, quartered 1/2 lb. spaghetti or noodles In top of double boiler melt the butter, blend in the flour. Slowly add the cream (or milk/sherry mixture) and broth, stirring constantly. Add the grated cheese, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. Season with the mustard parsley, onion salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add mayonnaise. Cool completely. Do this step before anything else. Cook the broccoli until tender crisp. Sauté the mushrooms in a little butter. Add to the broccoli and set aside. Cook the spaghetti or noodles until done. In a large casserole arrange layers of spaghetti, chicken, broccoli/mushrooms, and pour the sauce over all. Bake uncovered, in a 350° F. oven until bubbly, about 35 to 45 minutes. Source: Nalani Morris. CHICKEN CAESAR LASAGNA 9 dried whole wheat or regular lasagna noodles 2 (10 oz.) containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce 3 Tblsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped 3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese Preheat oven to 325° F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Stir in chicken, spinach, and red peppers. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of dish. Top with one-third chicken mixture. Repeat layers twice. Cover; bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 9 servings. Source: Better Homes & Gardens 8/07. CHICKEN PECAN TARTS 2 Tblsp. Butter or margarine 1 cup finely chopped pecan pieces 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken 2 cups chopped celery 1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard 1 pkg. (3 oz.) Cream cheese 1/4 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Ground nutmeg 1 pkg. (7.5 oz.) regular refrigerated biscuits In a large skillet, melt butter; add pecans and sauté until lightly browned. In a bowl, combine chicken, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, cream cheese, salt, and nutmeg. Add pecans; mix well. Separate biscuits; roll each into a 4-inch circle. Press into 10 foil bake cups, letting dough cover bottom and sides. Place foil bake cups in muffin pans. Spoon chicken mixture into bake cups. Bake at 425° F. for 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Yield: 10 servings. CHICKEN ROLLS WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE Filling: 3 Tblsp. butter 2-1/2 cups chopped onion 2 cups chopped celery 6 cups, cooked, diced chicken 1/4 cup copped parsley 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper Avgolemono Sauce: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 5 cups hot chicken stock Salt and Pepper to taste 6 egg yolks, beaten 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice Phyllo: 2 lbs. (48 sheets) 1 lb. unsalted butter, clarified Note: The original recipe calls for poaching bone-in chicken breasts in water with onions celery, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. I cheat, and poach boneless breasts in chicken stock. Filling: In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onion until soft. Add celery and sauté until tender. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, parsley, nutmeg, cheese, salt and pepper. Add onions and celery from skillet, and mix well. Avgolemono sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook gently, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little sauce to the beaten egg yolks and lemon juice, to temper, then stir the yolk mixture into the sauce. Simmer over low heat a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1-1/2 cups sauce to the chicken mixture, mix well. Reserve remaining sauce - it will be used at serving, refrigerate. Phyllo Preparation: Brush one phyllo sheet with butter, layer second sheet on top and brush with butter. Spread 2 rounded Tblsp. of chicken filling at one end of sheets, 3 inches from end and 2 inches from each side. Fold phyllo up over filling, to form a roll. Fold side edges in to enclose. Roll up, jellyroll fashion, to end of phyllo sheet. Seal with butter; brush outside with butter. (Rolls can be frozen at this point) Makes approx. 24 rolls. Place rolls on baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden. Reheat reserved sauce and serve with rolls. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Adapted from: Greek Cooking in an American Kitchen. St. Demetrios Church, Seattle, Washington. Posted by Oly at the ths.com Cooking Forum.

We have been making this recipe for years...got the original recipe right here on this forum...we ended up re naming it "Five Hour Chicken". My kids would come home from school and smell the aroma and say "Yipee Five Hour Chicken!" They now have moved into places of their own and make it themselves....we all triple the rub recipe and keep a jar on hand at all times...the rub works great on my BBQ Pork rib recipe as well!! Both are family favourites!!

Yes, this can be done successfully. What you've said should work if you're careful and keep an eye on things. Do you have convection? I'm assuming yes, from your question, but it's not 100% clear. If so, if you're doing multiple levels and have heated convection, I wouldn't do the "roast" (bottom heat) heat part. Just the convection. That could alter your timing, but the cooking would be a lot more even. The main thing to keep in mind is that the heat will reflect off the upper tray so the lower will probably cook faster. I might cook at a lower temperature, like 325° F until they're just about at serving temp (cooked through), then raise it for browning. You might find that the chickens fit better and cook more evenly if you butterfly (or spatchcock, i.e., removed the spine, flatten and possibly remove the breastbone)-- you should be able to still fit two per level that way and they'll cook more evenly flat. Tuck the wing tips under no matter how you do it. Alternatively, if you want to invest $25 in four wire stands, you could make them all on one level, standing up. This is especially good if you have convection, because you'd have to do a minimal amount of rearranging, and that one you could use the roast (bottom) heat as well, and they're all on one level so you don't have that reflecting thing from the upper pan. I'm pretty sure I've done three, two for sure, this way, and I know the oven had room for a fourth. Just keep your thermometer handy, and remember to check the breasts as well as the thighs. One other way to do it, if you don't have to present the birds, is to portion them first, and roast the pieces in big pans. That's the easiest because you can separated the pieces by size and not have to overcook the wings to get the thighs done to the bone.