the dark meat is great for chicken and dumplings. I’ll usually break it down because it’s about $5/pound here. (verse like $10 for 2 breasts…) so if you’re not needing the full bird for something, you can always re-freeze whatever you’re holding. And the chicken and dumplings are great for family meals. you can make most of it ahead of time, reheat and drop the dumplings when the family is ready to go.
It is a lot. but, the prep is spread out over several days, so there’s that. makes things manageable.