Recipe: Using Leftover Roast Chicken

Using Leftover Roast Chicken
rec.food.recipes/Linda, Tennessee/1999

Here are ways to recycle leftover chicken without actually cooking. With most of them, you could round out the meal by serving a green salad, a good piece of bread or a hard roll, a piece of fresh fruit and a couple of cookies. Most are quickie versions of more complicated dishes. Assemble here, heat up there. So who's telling?

1. Dip it in International ketchup -- Heat up a hefty portion of leftover chicken and serve with an international dipping sauce. These ethnic ketchups are on the supermarket shelves. Try Thai dipping sauce, Szechuan dipping sauce, Indian chutney or a smoky cowboy barbecue sauce.

2. Do it with eggs -- Chicken deviled eggs -- Mash six hard-cooked egg yolks with mayonnaise, grated onion, mustard and salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste. Stir in about a half cup of finely chopped cooked chicken.

3. Omelet or scrambled eggs -- Combine small cubes of chicken, cubes of cream cheese and some chopped herbs (parsley, chives and tarragon make a good combination). Toss into an omelet or scrambled eggs and let heat through until the chicken is warm, and the cream cheese is oozy.

4. Pita sandwich -- Spread pita pocket bread (whole wheat or sesame) with mayonnaise to which you've added a pinch of curry and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Add slices of cooked chicken. Stuff in a few slices of mango or avocado for a surprise and finish with a good spray of watercress or crisp lettuce. If you have some chopped nuts handy, toss them in.

5. Another pita sandwich -- Spread pita pocket bread with mayonnaise. Stuff it with slices of leftover chicken, sweet cabbage relish and a slice of tomato. Sprinkle generously with pepper.

6. Cheese melt -- Spread a split and partly toasted English muffin with pesto or mayonnaise, top with slices of leftover chicken and grated or sliced cheese. Run under the broiler until brown and bubbly.

7. White pizza -- Brush a small round of focaccia bread or Boboli with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Scatter with pieces of leftover chicken, chopped fresh herbs and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Run under the broiler to brown.

8. Red pizza -- Slice a piece of French bread in half lengthwise. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Spoon on a little canned pizza sauce and scatter shreds of leftover chicken over all. Add chopped fresh basil and oregano if you have some. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Run under the broiler to brown.

9. Mexican pizza -- Scatter shredded leftover chicken on a flour tortilla to within a half-inch of the edge. Generously shake mild or hot pepper sauce onto the chicken. Top with some shredded mozzarella or jack cheese. Run under the broiler until cheese melts and browns and the edges of the tortilla turn up like a saucer. Reach for additional hot pepper sauce.

10. Rancher pizza -- Scatter shredded leftover chicken on a flour tortilla. Douse with smoked barbecue sauce. Top with grated cheddar cheese if you like. Run under the broiler until cheese melts and browns and the edges of the tortilla turn up like a saucer.

11. Peking chicken -- Steam a flour tortilla to warm and soften it. Spread the tortilla with a teaspoon of hoisin sauce, or more to taste (you can boost the flavor with a drop of sesame oil). Add thin shreds of leftover chicken and small chopped pieces of chicken skin. The skin won't be very crisp, but it adds a ton of flavor. Snip a scallion into rings and scatter it over the chicken. Wrap up into a package. As an alternative, spread the hoisin sauce in a pita pocket and stuff with chicken, chicken skin and scallions.

12. Fajitas -- Saute a little sliced onion and green pepper in olive oil. Place on a warm flour tortilla. Add strips of warm cooked leftover chicken. Spritz with lime juice. Top with a dollop of sour cream, shredded lettuce and a spoonful of salsa. Roll up into a package.

13. Stir fry -- You don't need a wok. A skillet will work just as well. Toss sliced onion, garlic, red pepper, yellow squash and zucchini, broccoli buds and bean sprouts with olive oil until soft. Toss in cubes of leftover cooked chicken to heat. Douse with stir-fry sauce and heat through.

14. Fried rice -- Saute onion and garlic. Add a portion of leftover rice. Add chopped scrambled egg, minced leftover vegetables and diced leftover chicken. If there's a little piece of ham or shrimp in the fridge, chop it and add. Season with soy sauce, heat and serve.

15. Kebabs -- Alternate cubes of leftover chicken, pineapple and red pepper on a skewer. Brush with melted butter or spritz with olive oil cooking spray and run under the broiler to brown.

16. Soup helper -- Reinforce any canned vegetable or chicken soup with real pieces of chicken.

Time to buy another chicken.