The beauty of a whole-chicken dinner, whether you've roasted the bird yourself or picked up one at the grocery store on your way home from work, is that there are almost always leftovers. And those tidbits can be turned into any number of brilliant second-day meals. Here are ten ideas for easy (and delicious) dishes.
A couple of notes: If you're using leftover chicken in a hot dish, you won't want to cook it again; add it to the dish close to the last minute of cooking, just so it has time to warm through. And don't throw out the bones. You can always use them to make stock.
Sara Dickerman is an award-winning food writer based in Seattle. Her work can be found in publications like Slate, Saveur, and The New York Times.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Radicchio Salad Combine shredded chicken, slivers of sweet onion, coarsely chopped radicchio, and a handful of torn fresh basil leaves in a bowl; drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Shower in a generous handful of shaved Parmesan (use a vegetable peeler to shave it).
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Cut kernels from 4 ears of corn; set aside. Place cobs in a large pot; add cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep until stock is fragrant with corn, about 30 minutes. Strain corn stock into a clean pot; discard cobs. Add 4 quartered cored peeled tomatillos, 1 quartered onion, 1 garlic clove, and 1 seeded halved jalapeño, if desired; cook until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in reserved kernels and cook for 1 minute. Working in batches, purée soup in a blender. Rewarm soup to serve; garnish with shredded chicken and chopped cilantro.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
1980s-Style Chicken Salad
Whisk equal parts mayonnaise and crÿme fraîche in a bowl; add Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice to taste and season with kosher salt. Drizzle dressing over chunks of chicken, halved green grapes, toasted walnuts, and chopped fresh tarragon; toss to coat. This salad will taste even better the next day.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
1980s-Style Chicken Salad
Whisk equal parts mayonnaise and crÿme fraîche in a bowl; add Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice to taste and season with kosher salt. Drizzle dressing over chunks of chicken, halved green grapes, toasted walnuts, and chopped fresh tarragon; toss to coat. This salad will taste even better the next day.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Chicken Pasta with Melted Leeks and Goat Cheese
In a skillet over medium-low heat, sauté 3 sliced leeks in unsalted butter, kosher salt to taste, 1 thyme sprig, if desired, and a splash of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks collapse into a tender mass. Shred chicken into leeks and cook until chicken is just warmed through. Toss mixture with al dente whole wheat penne, crumbles of goat cheese, and a dash of pasta cooking water. You can use fresh goat cheese, but for more complexity try an aged chevre, such as Crottin de Chavignol
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Chicken Hash with Sriracha
Cook 1-2 slices bacon in a skillet with a diced small onion until onion is tender. Add chopped cooked potatoes and cook until bacon and potatoes are brown and crisp. Add a handful of shredded chicken and a dash of reduced-sodium soy sauce. Continue to cook until chicken is just warmed through. Sprinkle hash with chopped scallions and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Top each serving with a fried egg and a few shakes of Sriracha.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Chicken Tacos with Shredded Cabbage, Avocado, and Sour Cream
Mix sour cream in a bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a pinch of ground ancho chiles. Mix diced chicken, diced avocado, and a bit of chopped cilantro in another bowl. Scatter finely shredded red cabbage, then chicken mixture over heated corn tortillas. Top with a generous drizzle of sour cream mixture
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Pita Sandwich with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Garlic Tahini Sauce
Purée equal parts tahini (sesame seed paste) and warm water with a garlic clove in a blender until mixture is thick and smooth. Season sauce to taste with lemon juice and kosher salt. Toss cubes of chicken in a bowl with a bit of sauce and place in warm pita bread with slices of salted cucumber, tomato, and very thinly sliced red onion. Drizzle with more tahini sauce.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Caramelized Onion Tart with Chicken and Gruyÿre
Place a sheet of all-butter puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush 1" border on all sides with beaten egg. Scatter a layer of caramelized onions over pastry, staying inside border. Top onions with shredded chicken, grated Gruyÿre, and fresh thyme leaves. Bake at 425 degrees until crust is shiny and golden brown and cheese is melted.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Yellow Curry Chicken
In a skillet, sauté sliced onion and carrot rounds in a little vegetable oil until tender. Stir in some Thai yellow curry paste (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets; Thai and True makes an especially bright and fresh version). Thin curry to a saucy consistency with canned unsweetened coconut milk and low-sodium chicken broth. Add trimmed green beans; cook until crisp-tender. Add chunks of chicken and continue to cook curry mixture until chicken is just heated through. Serve over cooked jasmine rice.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Chicken-Mango Summer Rolls
Fill rice or tapioca summer roll wrappers with long strips of ripe mango, chunks of chicken, shredded romaine lettuce leaves, chilled cooked cellophane or rice noodles, and assorted fresh herbs such as Thai basil, cilantro, and mint. Make a dipping sauce with fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam), minced garlic, slivered Thai chiles, sugar, unseasoned rice vinegar, and water.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Whisk equal parts mayonnaise and crÿme fraîche in a bowl; add Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice to taste and season with kosher salt. Drizzle dressing over chunks of chicken, halved green grapes, toasted walnuts, and chopped fresh tarragon; toss to coat. This salad will taste even better the next day.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Whisk equal parts mayonnaise and crÿme fraîche in a bowl; add Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice to taste and season with kosher salt. Drizzle dressing over chunks of chicken, halved green grapes, toasted walnuts, and chopped fresh tarragon; toss to coat. This salad will taste even better the next day.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
In a skillet over medium-low heat, sauté 3 sliced leeks in unsalted butter, kosher salt to taste, 1 thyme sprig, if desired, and a splash of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks collapse into a tender mass. Shred chicken into leeks and cook until chicken is just warmed through. Toss mixture with al dente whole wheat penne, crumbles of goat cheese, and a dash of pasta cooking water. You can use fresh goat cheese, but for more complexity try an aged chevre, such as Crottin de Chavignol
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Cook 1-2 slices bacon in a skillet with a diced small onion until onion is tender. Add chopped cooked potatoes and cook until bacon and potatoes are brown and crisp. Add a handful of shredded chicken and a dash of reduced-sodium soy sauce. Continue to cook until chicken is just warmed through. Sprinkle hash with chopped scallions and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Top each serving with a fried egg and a few shakes of Sriracha.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Mix sour cream in a bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a pinch of ground ancho chiles. Mix diced chicken, diced avocado, and a bit of chopped cilantro in another bowl. Scatter finely shredded red cabbage, then chicken mixture over heated corn tortillas. Top with a generous drizzle of sour cream mixture
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Purée equal parts tahini (sesame seed paste) and warm water with a garlic clove in a blender until mixture is thick and smooth. Season sauce to taste with lemon juice and kosher salt. Toss cubes of chicken in a bowl with a bit of sauce and place in warm pita bread with slices of salted cucumber, tomato, and very thinly sliced red onion. Drizzle with more tahini sauce.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Place a sheet of all-butter puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush 1" border on all sides with beaten egg. Scatter a layer of caramelized onions over pastry, staying inside border. Top onions with shredded chicken, grated Gruyÿre, and fresh thyme leaves. Bake at 425 degrees until crust is shiny and golden brown and cheese is melted.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
In a skillet, sauté sliced onion and carrot rounds in a little vegetable oil until tender. Stir in some Thai yellow curry paste (available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets; Thai and True makes an especially bright and fresh version). Thin curry to a saucy consistency with canned unsweetened coconut milk and low-sodium chicken broth. Add trimmed green beans; cook until crisp-tender. Add chunks of chicken and continue to cook curry mixture until chicken is just heated through. Serve over cooked jasmine rice.
Photo by: Photo by Sarah Flotard
Fill rice or tapioca summer roll wrappers with long strips of ripe mango, chunks of chicken, shredded romaine lettuce leaves, chilled cooked cellophane or rice noodles, and assorted fresh herbs such as Thai basil, cilantro, and mint. Make a dipping sauce with fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam), minced garlic, slivered Thai chiles, sugar, unseasoned rice vinegar, and water.
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