The prices on whole roasting chicken has been pretty good lately, so I have been finding myself buying quite a few chickens for our meals. My family likes roast chicken, so it isn’t usually a problem, except for the leftovers. They can get a little boring after a while. That is why we usually have one meal of roast chicken (I vary the seasonings), and then use the leftover chicken in new dishes, some of which I can freeze.
Here are my favorite ways to use leftover chicken.
- Chicken Pot Pie: You can use a butter crust, shortening crust, biscuit crust or mashed potato crust, depending on your preferences and your ingredients on hand.
- Hot Pockets: Fill pizza dough with chicken, cheese and other filling for quick meals that can even be eaten in the car. Plus, homemade hot pockets freeze nicely.
- Pizza! Try barbecue chicken pizza or chicken and pineapples, to turn your typical pizza into more of a meal.
- Chicken Salad: One of the fastest and easiest things to do with leftover chicken is to chop it up and mix it with mayo or salad dressing, plus celery or grapes for a homemade chicken salad that can be served on bread, on crackers or over greens.
- Casseroles: Already cooked chicken is an easy ingredient for many casseroles. Search for a couple of favorite recipes to have on hand when you need them.
- Chicken Enchiladas: Cooked chicken speeds up the preparation time, and the Mexican flavor is a complete change from the original roast chicken.
- Chicken noodle soup: Use store-bought chicken stock, carrots, celery and onions, or make your own stock from the bones to save even more money.
- Barbecue Chicken Sandwich: Toss the leftover chicken with some barbecue sauce and add some thin slices of carrot for extra crunch.
- Chicken Pasta Alfredo: Boil some pasta, then toss it together with the leftover chicken and alfredo sauce.