Whether you’ve roasted it yourself or resorted to the busy parent’s best friend, the rotisserie chicken, sooner or later you’ll end up with leftover chicken in your fridge.
And that’s not a bad thing at all. Thinking beyond sandwiches, there’s a whole world of dishes you can make with shredded or diced chicken.
I prefer to shred the meat for most recipes, as I think the rough edges tend to absorb more flavour; just use two forks and gently pull the meat into pieces. It’s also a good idea to use a combination of light and dark meat if you can. Dark meat is more moist and has a deeper flavour. Don’t be afraid to use lots of seasoning and bold flavours in your dishes. Chicken provides a perfect neutral background for them.
Chicken Tetrazzini
8 oz spaghetti, broken in half
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp butter (divided use)
1 medium shallot, minced
1½ cups thinly sliced mushrooms
¼ cup flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup light cream (about 10 to 18% milk fat)
2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350° F; lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for eight to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms; sauté until lightly browned. Remove shallot and mushrooms from pan and set aside. In the same pan, melt the quarter cup of butter over medium heat; stir in the flour, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until smooth, bubbly and light golden. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cream. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens to the consistency of thick gravy.
Stir in cooked spaghetti, mushroom-shallot mixture, chicken and parsley. The mixture should have a lot of sauce (it will be absorbed while the dish cooks). Add additional cream and/or chicken broth to the mixture if necessary. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Makes four servings.
Source: allrecipes.com
Thai Chicken Pizza
1 lb purchased fresh pizza dough (sold refrigerated in many stores)
1½ cups Asian peanut sauce (found in the Asian food aisle)
1½ cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp grated or minced fresh garlic
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
½ cup chopped green onions
1 Tbsp shredded fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded carrots Toppings: Chopped peanuts, additional shredded basil, lime wedges
Preheat oven to 400º F; remove pizza dough from refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 16- to 18-inch circle. Place the dough on a pizza pan and spread with one cup of the peanut sauce, leaving about a one-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Toss the chicken with the remaining peanut sauce, then arrange it in an even layer on top of the cheese.
Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. While the pizza is cooking, whisk together the lime juice, oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a medium mixing bowl. Toss with the carrots, cabbage, green onions and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove pizza from the oven and set oven to broil, with top rack about eight to 10 inches from broiler.
Sprinkle the slaw mixture evenly over the pizza, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.
Return pizza to oven and broil for one or two minutes until the crust is golden brown and added cheese is bubbly. To serve, sprinkle chopped peanuts and additional basil over top and add a squeeze of lime. Makes four servings.
Source: forkknifeswoon.com
Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
4 large flour tortillas (approx. 8-10 inches in diameter)
1½ cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (or a combination of the two)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup purchased barbecue sauce
Melted butter
Toppings: Salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the barbecue sauce, stirring until chicken is well coated with sauce. Sprinkle one-quarter of the cheese over one half of each tortilla.
Top with one-quarter of the chicken mixture.
Fold the other half of each tortilla over the fillings and press lightly. Brush the top of each quesadilla with melted butter; place quesadillas in the heated skillet, buttered side down, and cook until golden brown. Brush the top side of each one with melted butter while first side is cooking, then flip the quesadilla over and cook the remaining side until golden brown. (You will likely have to cook the quesadillas in two or more batches. You can keep the cooked ones warm in a preheated 300° F. oven).
Cut each quesadilla into quarters and add desired toppings. Makes four servings.
Source: bhg.com
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. She can be reached at [email protected].
