Leftover chicken works great in chicken salad. Use your favorite chicken salad recipe and scale it back to fit the amount of chicken you have. Its quick and easy and makes a good lunch or second dinner. Served on crackers or lettuce leaves, its also a healthy but filling snack. I always use my chicken salad for sandwiches, but i leave out the grapes and nuts. I like the creamier chicken salad.
Chicken quesadillas have got to be one of the easiest leftover chicken meals. You dont need very much. Cut or shred your chicken up. Place the chicken in a tortilla with cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and heat up in a non-stick skillet on both sides. Once the cheese is melted, your quesadilla is done. Top with sour cream or salsa. It is such a simple meal that can be made fast and easy especially if you don't have much time for lunch.
Chicken tacos are so delicious. Add a little taco seasoning to your leftover chicken and heat it up. This works great with hard or soft shelled tacos. Top with lettuce tomato, salsa, cheese and sour cream. Tacos are so much fun to make and I love to try new things with tacos.
Shred up your leftover chicken. Heat up the chicken in a pan with some barbeque sauce. Serve the chicken on hamburger buns. Serve with potato salad or French fries for a quick and easy meal. Chicken BBQ tastes great on its own as well, so have try a helping with some rice and corn on the cob as well. BBQ is typically pork but I think I love it more when it is BBQ chicken. There is something about the smoky flavor with the chicken just a perfect combination.
Leftover chicken works great in lunch time salads. Buy a bag of Caesar Salad mix and add in your chicken. You can also create your own mix with individual ingredients. You will have a good filling lunch with out any hard work. If you make the portions smaller, it also serves as a great side salad for dinner, especially in the summer. When I go out to eat I like to order this salad because it is not only healthier than a burger but its not a wimpy house salad that these girls are eating all the time.
I use leftover rotisserie chicken to make soup. The first night I ate the rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and little green peas. When I cleaned up after dinner, I pulled the remaining chicken off of the bone. The next time I want to make soup, I fill my stock pan with chicken broth, chopped carrots, and celery. I let that cook for a while before adding in my chicken and egg noodles. Once the noodles are soft, its ready to serve. This is perfect for any cold wintery day, when you are not feeling well, or if you are just in the mood for soup. I dont have enough leftover chicken right now to make any, so I have been eating the sore bought soup, definitely not as good.
Leftover chicken breast makes excellent chicken sandwiches. There is hardly any prep involved in this meal idea. Just prepare your bun as you wish and add your chicken breast. You can also use whole wheat or whole grain bread, or a wrap of your choice. There are lots of healthy dressings you can use to add a dash of tang as well. Everyone goes out to restaurants to buy these when they probably have the ingredients to make them at home. It will save money and time to just make it at home. I love recipes where I can make my favorite restaurant dishes at home.
I must say, my favorite leftover chicken meal idea is probably chicken quesadillas or chicken Caesar salad. Of course in the cooler months or when Im feeling sick, chicken noodle soup is my go to leftover chicken recipe. What about you, how do you use leftover chicken?
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