6 Ways with Rotisserie Chicken

6 Ways with Something Extra / One Pot Main Courses

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We all have those days. You’re coming home from a long day at work and you pop into the supermarket for something quick for dinner. You find yourself drawn to the deli where they’ve just brought out a fresh batch of roast chickens and the aroma is irresistible. But they only sell them whole. What do you do? Why, you buy one, of course.

chicken_caesar_saladBut as you sit at home, licking your fingers after polishing off the drumsticks and maybe even the wings as well, you wonder what on earth are you going to do with the rest of it. Cold chicken makes great sandwiches, of course. However, as the rule is that cooked chicken must be consumed within four days, you might need a few more ideas on how to use the rest, such as those here below.

The following recipes are also suitable for your leftover Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, or for cooked chicken from your supermarket deli or fridge.

You can substitute ½ cup of chopped cooked chicken for the canned chicken in all the recipes in the entry Things to do with Canned Chicken.

Cooked chicken could also be used in some of the recipes in the entry: One Pot Main Courses: Chicken.

 

Recipes:

Chicken Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

Chicken and Rice Salad

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Chicken à la King

Chicken Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

 

Chicken Salad

  • ½ cup cooked chicken, chopped
  • ¼ Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped (or ½ stick celery)
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion (or red onion)
  • 1–2 tbsp. mayonnaise or natural yoghurt
  • Oregano and garlic granules
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

 

  1. Toss together chicken, apple and onion
  2. Whisk oregano and garlic granules into mayonnaise
  3. Stir mayonnaise into salad
  4. Serve with cherry tomatoes (optional)

Variation: at Step 1, add the chopped flesh of ½ small avocado

 

Chicken Caesar Salad

  • 1½ cups cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup cooked chicken, chopped
  • 1 slice wholegrain bread, toasted
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. soy (or fish) sauce

 

  1. Lightly poach the egg (see below)
  2. Whisk the lemon juice and soy sauce into the mayonnaise
  3. Cut the toast into small squares
  4. In a 1 litre bowl, toss together the torn lettuce with the chopped chicken, toasted squares and shredded Parmesan cheese
  5. Top with the poached egg
  6. Cut up egg, drizzle with dressing and toss salad lightly

Tip: for Step 1, you can poach the egg On the Stovetop or In the Microwave 

 

Chicken and Rice Salad

  • 1 single-serve microwave rice
  • ¼ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • ½ cup cooked chicken, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • Pepper and parsley

 

  1. Microwave mixed vegetables in a little water on high for 90 seconds
  2. Drain and rinse to cool
  3. Empty microwave rice into a 1 litre bowl and break up with a fork
  4. Add chopped chicken and vegetables to rice
  5. Whisk lemon juice, pepper and parsley into mayonnaise
  6. Stir mayonnaise into rice

 

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

  • ½ cup cooked chicken, sliced or chopped
  • ½ cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn (or spinach leaves)
  • ¼ cup carrot or celery, chopped
  • 1½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 2 tbsp. small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste
  • Garlic
  • Parsley and oregano
  • Olive oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté onion with garlic
  2. Add carrot and sauté
  3. Add 1½ cups boiling water with chicken stock powder, tomato paste and herbs
  4. Add chicken with macaroni and simmer for 10 minutes
  5. Add lettuce or spinach and simmer for a further 3 minutes

Variation: substitute 1½ cups liquid chicken or vegetable stock for the stock powder and water

 

Chicken à la King

  • ½ cup cooked chicken, chopped
  • ¼ cup mushrooms, chopped
  • ¼ cup red capsicum, chopped
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • 1 tsp. cornflour
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Garlic and pepper
  • Butter or margarine

 

  1. In a small saucepan, sauté chopped onion in melted butter with garlic and pepper
  2. Add capsicum and sauté
  3. Add mushrooms and sauté
  4. Dissolve cornflour in cold milk and add stock powder
  5. Add to saucepan, simmer gently and stir until sauce thickens
  6. Stir in chicken and frozen peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes

Serving suggestion: serve on a slice of (toasted) wholegrain bread

 

Chicken Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

  • ½ cup cooked chicken, chopped
  • ½ cup pasta
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup spinach leaves
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic, chilli or paprika and pepper
  • Parsley and basil
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Boil pasta until al dente, drain, retaining some of the water, and set aside
  2. In a small saucepan sauté onion with garlic, pepper and a little chilli or paprika
  3. Add tomatoes with herbs and sauté until wilted
  4. Add chicken and sauté until heated through
  5. Add 1–2 tbsp. pasta water with spinach and bring to the boil
  6. Stir in pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
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