Friday Five: Leftover Roast Chicken

Sheeesh it's been quite some time since I posted a Friday Five.  Hopefully this one does not disappoint.  I make a roast chicken almost every week, and we ALWAYS have leftovers.  My husband prefers the legs and wings, the boys and I eat the thighs.  We always have the entire breasts leftover (and sometimes more). So here's my Friday Five things to do with leftover roasted chicken.

1. Chicken Stock.  I haven't bought chicken stock since Thanksgiving (when gallons and gallons are required).  What I do is cut off all the usable meat (white and dark) and store it in a freezer bag.  Then I take everything leftover, this includes bones, onions, herbs, and anything else I roast with it.  Throw everything in a crock pot.  Just cover with water and cook for 12 hours.

 Let it cool, poor through a strainer.  I used to freeze it in ice cube trays, but I use it so often I just keep in quart containers in the fridge now.

2. This is perhaps the most obvious... Chicken Salad!  Now sure, you could just chop it up and mix in some mayo, but why stop there?  How about adding some toasted chopped pecans or walnuts, sliced grapes, a bit of chopped onion and some garlic powder.  YUM!

3.  Chicken Quesadillas.  This is my favorite thing to use leftover chicken for.  Shred or cut your chicken into small cubes.   Saute' some onions in a skillet until caramel in color and add your chicken with about a cup of salsa (add more or less depending on how much chicken you have).  You could also use taco seasoning and water instead, but we rarely have that on hand.  I also like to add cumin and extra garlic powder.  Add your filling to tortillas and sprinkle generously with cheddar cheese, fold over.  You can finish them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or in another skillet with a bit of butter or olive oil.  Serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and more salsa.  Sometimes I add black beans or corn to them as well.

4.   Chicken Tacos.  Make the same filling as you would for quesadillas.  Add to taco shells with your favorite taco toppings.  We usually skip this meal because Munchkin only eats the taco shell (which he calls chips).

5.  Chicken Shepard's Pie.  This is a new recipe I just came up with.  My husband and I thought it was great, Munchkin not so much... but he doesn't even like chicken nugget these days.  Anyway, saute' a cup each of carrots (I really can't stand peas so I never add them) and onions until soft. Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic.  Cook until it's all soft, then add your chicken (about 2 cups).  In a small bowl I crushed 3 beef bouillon cubes, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, and a teaspoon of black pepper.  I added this to the chicken with about a half cup of water (or chicken stock if you have any).

In the mean time make your favorite mashed potato recipe.  Add your chicken to a square baking dish and top with your potatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

 I didn't get a picture of it straight out of the oven.   It was more brown than I meant but it was still very good

Hope you enjoyed this Friday Five.  Have a wonderful weekend!