A great convenience food, whole roasted chickens make mealtime easy. Try these variations and you can eat roasted chicken on a regular basis without getting tired of it. The cost and the convenience make these ideas a surefire winner. Feed a few or a crowd, the flavor of roasted chicken is hard to beat. The meat just falls off the bones. Pull it apart with your fingers to add to other dishes.
Ten Ways to Eat a Whole Roasted Chicken
- Serve it sliced as part of a meal, or on a sandwich
- Add it to spanakopita in place of half of the spinach
- Use it in chicken salad
- Serve it mixed into cranberry stuffing – who wants to stuff a chicken when you can add chicken to a stuffing for the same flavor?
- Lasagna wraps or stuffed shells, recipe below
- Stir it into your favorite risotto recipe after the rice is done
- Add it to a curry sauce for chicken curry
- Bake it with mini penne pasta and cheese, recipe below
- Chicken and dumplings are a great favorite
- Chicken soup is a snap and warms cold nights as well as curing all ills, recipe below
Baking times are just long enough to be sure everything is hot, since the chicken is already cooked. A 3 pound chicken and will feed 4 to 6 people when used in these recipes. It can always be split into 2 meals, freezing one for later. Or, cut the recipe in half and freeze half of the chicken for a different dish later. Quantities aren't really important here.
Lasagna Wraps Recipe
- Roasted chicken pulled from the bone in bite size pieces
- Lasagna Noodles, large shells can also be used
- Fresh baby spinach, optional
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese, grated
- Tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
Preheat oven to 375°. Pull the chicken from the bone while the water heats for the pasta, and cook the pasta until done. Combine the cheeses and the chicken, reserving some mozzarella, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
If using long lasagna pieces, cut them in half. Put a layer of spinach leaves on each noodle, and spread some chicken and cheese over the spinach. Roll them up and skewer with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish and cover with tomato sauce and a layer of mozzarella. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot, and the cheese is melted.
Roasted Chicken With Pasta and Cheese Recipe
- Roasted chicken pulled from the bone in bite size pieces
- Mini penne pasta, about 1/2 a box, mini penne cooks much faster than regular penne
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Panko bread crumbs
- Grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375°. Pull the chicken from the bone while the water heats for the pasta, and cook the pasta until done. Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until clear, stir in the flour, add milk, and stir until smooth.
Stir in the chicken and pasta, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Put into a baking dish, cover with bread crumbs and cheddar cheese, and bake 20 to 30 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.
Quick Lemon Chicken and Pasta Soup Recipe
- Roasted chicken pulled from the bone in bite size pieces
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- baby carrots
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1/4 cup ponzu sauce (not the soy sauce version) or lemon juice
- 4" stalk of lemongrass, smashed, optional
- Mini penne pasta, a little less than 1/2 box
- Optional vegetables: drained canned corn or sliced cabbage are good last minute additions.
Saute the vegetables in the olive oil until soft. Add the chicken broth, Ponzu or lemon juice, and the lemongrass. Bring to a simmer, add the chicken and the penne, cook until the pasta is done, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cabbage or canned corn can be added about the same time as the pasta.
There are many great chicken recipes where roasted chicken can be substituted for raw chicken, with an adjustment in cooking time. Roasted chicken from the grocery store is a truly versatile convenience food. Feel free to leave some of your quick dinner ideas that use roasted chicken here.
Corinne Shibley - Corinne Shibley studied sculpture in art history and created her own sculpture on the way to a B.A. in Studio Art. "There's something ...
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