Desperation Chicken is Engagement Chicken’s late night cousin. I had defrosted an entire chicken to make chicken adobo the other night, but I got side-tracked and didn’t feel like making it after all. Last night, I was concerned that the chicken would be out of the freezer too long if I waited any longer to cook it, so I decided to roast it, even though we had other plans for dinner.
Now I have an entire roasted chicken waiting in my fridge. What are your favorite ideas for leftover chicken?
I had never made enchilada sauce myself; it turns out that it is super simple! This was an easy way to turn leftover chicken into something new.
I made this just for myself, so double it if you’re cooking for two. Enchiladas are not very photogenic, but they tasted much better than they looked!
Enchilada Sauce
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T flour
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 T New Mexico chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 c water
kosher salt
Enchiladas
1/2 c cooked, shredded chicken
2 c raw spinach, wilted (add 1 T water and microwave for 30 seconds)
3 corn tortillas
enchilada sauce (see above)
cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and garlic until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the flour and stir in with a whisk to make a roux. After the flour has cooked for about 30 seconds, add the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, water, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, taste, and add additional salt if necessary.
Spray a 9×9 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with spinach and chicken, then roll loosely, with the seam on the bottom. Cover in enchilada sauce and top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 12 minutes.
I was introduced to a Thai dish recently, by my (Thai) friend Kathy, and now I am obsessed with it. It’s ground chicken stir-fried with mint and chilies. It’s so simple but so good, and such a nice change from the old stand-bys pad thai, panang curry, etc. I decided to make a dish inspired by that using basil instead of mint. My version was a tiny bit salty, so I recommend starting with less fish sauce and adding more after tasting it.
Thai-Style Ground Chicken and Basil
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken
juice of 1 lime
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 -1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
1-2 T fish sauce (start with 1 and taste before adding more)
1 T garlic chili sauce, plus extra on the side
15 leaves of basil, roughly chopped, or 1/3 c of mint, roughly chopped
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil to the pan, and when it’s hot, add the garlic and fry until fragrant.
Add the chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon and allowing to brown. When the chicken is brown, add the green onions and jalapeno. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili sauce, then toss the meat around in the sauces. Finally, add the basil or mint and stir for about 30 seconds or until wilted.
Serve over white rice.
I love chicken salad. In addition to soup, it’s my favorite way to use plain leftover (roasted, grilled, poached) chicken.
Today I decided to make a simple salad. I lightened traditional chicken salad by adding lots of vegetables and making a dressing out of lemon juice and olive oil. I stilled used a little bit of mayo for flavor.
Chicken Salad with Almonds, Apples, and Dried Cranberries
2 cups of diced chicken
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 apple, chopped
handful of dried cranberries
handful of slivered almonds
juice of 1 lemon
2 T olive oil
3 T mayo
kosher salt
black pepper
spinach
Combine the chicken, celery, apple, cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
In a smaller bowl, combine the lemon, olive oil, and mayo. Pour the dressing over the dry ingredients, and gently combine.
Serve over a bed of spinach leaves or make a sandwich–I made one for Paco with roasted red peppers and avocado. Enjoy!
This is a favorite of Paco and my brother, but I don’t make it that often because of all of the steps. It has a very clean, nourishing quality to it, but the chili sauce takes it to the next level in flavor. In a pinch, you can skip making the chili sauce and use garlic chili sriracha instead. You can also serve it with additional sauces, such as a ginger and sesame oil blend.
I always use the recipe from Steamy Kitchen, so I won’t pretend that I have any improvements to make! I just wanted to share that you should definitely try making it at home.
You can eat the leftovers as is, or you can transform them into a delicious chicken and rice soup. I usually add more ginger and garlic to the broth, then add the chicken, rice, and some celery to the pot. Enjoy!
Tiny Perfect Bites 