Leftover roasted chicken

[Anonymous]

So I've started roasting a whole chicken or two over the weekend, and making broth out of the bones. I use the leftover meat for lunches throughout the week (mostly sandwiches and salads), but need some ideas for dinner. I've made chicken tacos and enchiladas, and chicken soup. What are your other favorite uses for leftover roast chicken? I work full-time and have young kids with early bedtimes, so I need things that can be made ahead or prepped in about 20-30 min after work (hence the cooking large items on the weekend). Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Chicken and spinach curry (recipe is actually for turkey, but chicken works fine):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/251mrex.html?_r=0

Butter chicken (the recipe I have calls for pre-cooked chicken though some recipes call for it raw)

Chicken fried rice.
Chicken pot pie (we make ahead and then just bake on the night of dinner, but it does take a little longer than 20 minutes)
White chili
Quiche (bake ahead)


I often chop up leftover chicken and throw into pasta sauces, rice dishes, etc.

[Anonymous]

Curry chicken salad (barefoot contessa recipe)

[Anonymous]

Chicken fajitas!

[Anonymous]

mix extra chicken w/ taco seasoning and make chicken tacos/ enchiladas/quesadillas

[Anonymous]

Mix chicken with shredded cabbage, carrots, peanuts and a handful of Durkee onions. Mix up some sesame/soy sauce/peanut butter dressing. Voila! Delicious Asian cabbage salad.

[Anonymous]

1. Get a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and put it in a skillet over medium heat, with a sploosh of olive oil and half a Knorrs chicken bouillon cube. Stir occasionally, and when the veggies are just about all the way thawed & warm, stir in cooked shredded chicken. Cook until everything is heated through. Add a couple cups cooked brown rice (I use the frozen packages) and maybe half a cup of shredded grated cheese and stir it all together.

2. Chop up a couple medium tomatoes (or slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes in half) and heat in a medium-size skilled with some olive oil, chopped onion (maybe 1/2 an onion? though I usually use onion powder) and a couple cloves of chopped garlic/garlic powder. When the tomatoes have started to soften, stir in shredded cooked chicken. Give it a couple minutes to warm up, and then lay slices of feta cheese across the top, cover, lower heat slightly, and cook 5 mins or so. (The cheese won't really melt, but it'll soften and wilt a bit.) Serve over rice.

[Anonymous]

One more ... Cook some pasta (I usually use angel hair, b/c my husband prefers it and because it cooks quickly). While it's cooking, mix a few tablespoons of olive oil with the juice of half a lemon (maybe a whole, use your judgment), plus a teaspoon of dried marjoram, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and a little salt & pepper. Chop up a red pepper or maybe some cherry tomatoes (I've done it either way). Mix the noodles, dressing, and pepper/tomato with shredded cooked chicken. You could also add about 1/2 cup of crumbled feta.

[Anonymous]

Put it in a skillet with barbque sauce and heat. Get hamburger buns for quick, easy chicken sandwiches.

[Anonymous]

OP here - awesome ideas, thanks everyone! I'm going to rotate through all of these over the next couple of weeks .

[Anonymous]

I usually go with tacos or enchiladas as you've done. But I also like quesadillas, chilaquiles, chicken salad (the sandwich spread), chicken on a salad (like a spinach salad), chicken in pasta, and, with a little more prep time, chicken pot pie. I've never done these but you could also make chicken meatballs, or get some egg roll wrappers and wrap up little chicken wontons.

For the advanced course, homemade chicken ravioli or tortellini.