Leftover Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

The humble whole roast chicken is, in my opinion one of the most versatile bits of meat and many of us will undoubtedly be throwing together a roast chicken dinner today. 

In our family of four, a whole, large roast chicken, will do us for a roast dinner with the usual trimmings, roast potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing; but then I always make sure we get at least another meal out of it for the following day. 

Once I'm done with the chicken, I do try to always make chicken stock too; which can be used as the basis for a soup, stew, a risotto, jambalaya or the likes - and it freezes well too.

As people are having to be a bit more careful with their produce right now - I thought I'd share a round up of my top suggestions to utilize leftover roast chicken. 

Firstly for my generic roast chicken, I usually get a large bird, and I roast in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. To get the crispy skin that my kids fight over, I drizzle with a little olive oil, then season generously with sea salt and black pepper. I also add a scattering of 1 tsp dried thyme and I place a few garlic cloves around the chicken and inside the cavity too. Sometimes I cut a lemon in half and add this to the cavity too which helps to keep the chicken moist. It's important that you always rest your meat when it comes out of the oven too; it will continue cooking, and it will carve and taste so much better once rested and juicy.

For chicken stock, take the carcass of the chicken and place into a large saucepan or stock pot, with any other remaining bones (such as the leg or wing bones). Now roughly chop a large onion or a handful of shallots into quarters (no need to peel), chop a couple of carrots (again skin on), and a few sticks of celery chopped up and add a bouquet garni or a few bay leaves and a handful of peppercorns and top with water. Slowly heat up and bring up to the boil. Once it has reached boiling point, take off the heat and then pass through a sieve into a large bowl or another sauce pan to remove any bits. Once cooled it can be kept 

Ideas for leftover chicken:

Chicken Noodle Soup

A nourishing bowl full of goodness with Asian flavours.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken and Mushroom Potato Pie 

Creamy, delicious and topped with cheesy mash potato, this is a crowd pleasing dish.

Chicken and Mushroom Potato Pie

Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

Who doesn't love a creamy chicken pie in flaky, puff pastry?

Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

Chicken Salad

You can throw your favourite salad items together, or just what you have available, drizzle with your favourite dressing, a drizzle of olive oil or a simple squeeze of lemon.

We love rocket, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, radish, sweetcorn and croutons topped with Caesar dressing and with a few fresh herbs added in but use what you and your family love. 

Chicken Salad

Claire's Crispy Aromatic Chicken & Pancakes

OK so this is a Chinese take away classic except it's with duck, but my sister-in-law Claire introduced us to this fab way of using up leftover roast chicken (it also works with pork) a few years ago and it is a favourite now. Literally add a little sesame oil to a pan and place on a low to medium heat, shred the chicken and coat in 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice and quickly fry to re-heat and coat the chicken in the Five Spice flavours. In the meantime, slice up cucumber, and spring onions, slice a red chilli, and knock out the jewels from a pomegranate too for a lovely texture, serve with warmed tortilla wraps, and some hoi sin (plum) sauce and scatter with sesame seeds if you have some handy.

Crispy Aromatic Chicken and Pancakes

Quick & Easy Chicken Quesadilla

Shred the chicken and add to a small bowl with 1/2 jar of tomato salsa, a tin of red kidney beans or black beans, some sweetcorn and a sliced, roasted red pepper - if you have some, add a few coriander leaves and mix . Grate some hard cheese such as Cheddar into another bowl. Place a tortilla wrap into a hot frying pan, cover 1 half with the chicken mixture, then some grated cheese and cover the filled half with the empty side of the tortilla and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with some chunky guacamole (avocado, tomato, red chilli, coriander, lime juice, sea salt, crushed garlic). 

Quick Thai Green Chicken Curry

Fry off an onion, garlic and some fresh ginger if you have it in a little oil and then add 2 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste and fry off for a minute or so. Add a tin of coconut milk, the chicken, and your choice of vegetables - mushrooms, courgette, aubergine, peppers and even green beans or peas work well. Elevate with a drop of fish sauce, a squeeze of lime and a few coriander leaves to serve. 

Vicky's Chicken Stew

My Mum's chicken stew was a family staple growing up and has had many variations over the years depending on who is cooking it - but the basis is the cooked chicken (and any bones in the broth for extra flavour), a couple of chopped carrots, a diced onion, a couple of sliced celery sticks, chopped potato and topped with chicken stock, and a bouquet garni or a few bay leaves, seasoned and left to cook away on the hob. I also like peas, pearl barley or lentils which thicken it up a bit and we sometimes have suet dumplings too. Mum used to put small pasta in our stew too and it was and still is, always served with buttered bread.  

Vicky's Chicken Stew

Chicken and Tomato Pasta

A simple tomato sauce of onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and whichever herbs you might have to hand makes a great basis for a chicken pasta dish, add the cooked chicken once the sauce is done to warm through and add the cooked pasta (any shape is fine) to the pan with the sauce to cook a little, and spoon over 2tbsp of the pasta cooking water. 

Chicken and Tomato Pasta

Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice requires cooked rice, and I find those pouches of Microwave rice to be the best option here. Add sesame oil to a wok or frying pan and heat, then fry off onion, garlic and if you have it, ginger, add a drop of soy then add any chopped vegetables you might want, such as peppers, mushrooms, peas, sweetcorn - most things work here. Fry off the veg then add the cooked rice and stir well. If you have them, add a teaspoon of Sriracha for some heat and cook through for five minutes. If it seems particularly dry, add a little chicken stock.

Tuna Fishcakes

These fishcakes are super quick and easy to make, really tasty and if you're stuck at home with children during the COVID-19 pandemic as we are, they are a good activity to get the little ones involved in cooking. They're also a great store cupboard recipe, as much of what you will need, you are likely to have in the cupboard or fridge and whenever we have leftover mashed potato, fishcakes are inevitably on the menu the following day.

Tuna Fishcakes

Tinned tuna is actually a really good store cupboard ingredient for these times and in addition to the recipe for these Asian-style tuna fishcakes I've listed out a few other ideas below with the ingredients needed:

• Tuna Pasta Salad (uni style): Cooked fusilli pasta, mayo, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, sweetcorn, squeeze of lemon, black pepper

• Tuna Pasta Bake: a simple tomato sauce (onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or oregano and olive oil) stirred through the pasta with the tinned tuna, then put into an oven-proof dish and topped with a little cheese before baking

• Tuna Nicoise Salad: tinned tuna, boiled egg, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, cooked new potatoes (or leftover roast or boiled potatoes), red onion, olives, anchovies

• Jacket Potato Topping or Sandwich filler: tuna, mayonnaise, tinned sweetcorn

• Tuna & Sweetcorn Frittata: A thick baked omelette made up of x3-4 eggs, sweetcorn, some fresh herbs if you have them (parsley or dill would work), a finely chopped pepper, red onion, a handful grated hard cheese (Cheddar, Red Leicester or Parmesan would work) and milk

The below served x4 of us for a lovely lunchtime meal served with a ribbon salad which is simply x2 carrots, and 1/2 a cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, drizzled with a tiny bit of soy and topped with some sesame seeds, as well as a variety of dipping sauces, one being just Sriracha, one a chipotle mayo (just mix together) and finally an Asian dipping sauce of soy, fish sauce, chilli oil, sesame oil and some fresh ginger. Sweet Chilli Sauce would work too.


Here's how:

• x2 tins tuna
• 1 red onion
• 3-4 tbsp leftover mashed potato
• 3cm piece of ginger
• Handful fresh coriander 
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Sesame oil to fry

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and put a little sesame oil into a frying pan on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, peel and finely chop or grate the ginger, and roughly chop the coriander and add to a mixing bowl.

To that bowl add the leftover mashed potato, the drained tuna, the fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper. Use a fork to roughly mix together. It should be a chunky texture so don't be tempted to use a hand blender here.

Now into a bowl crack one egg and beat and set aside.

Pop the breadcrumbs into another bowl, and finally add the flour to a third bowl. Add the Chinese Five Spice, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the flour and give a quick mix.

Now you're ready to assemble, get a chopping board or a plate to place each fishcake as it's formed ready.

Now go in with your hands and get about 1.5 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a firm ball, then place in the palm of one hand and lightly press down with the other to get it flatter and like a fishcake size and shape. 

Drop the formed fishcake into the flour then turn over, next dip into the beaten egg and finally toss into the breadcrumbs and then set on the board or plate and then repeat until all of the mixture is used up.

Now place about 4-5 of the fishcakes (depending on size) into the pan and allow them to brown for a few minutes, then use a tablespoon to gently turn over and cook the other side. I sometimes add a little oil to the pan using Fry Light at this stage so they're not too dry.

Once cooked through, remove the fishcakes and put onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to keep warm (nobody wants cold mash potato in anything!). Repeat the process and place the final fishcakes into the oven for five minutes before you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tuna Fishcakes

Mini Egg Brownies

I made these this delicious fudgey Mini Egg Brownies this morning with Bridget and Beatrice, which was a lovely way to spend Mother's Day morning as we weren't able to visit the girls' Nanny's as we usually would. 

The same recipe would work with any mini chocolate eggs, Smarties, M&M's or anything chocolatey. You could also just use chunks of chocolate or chocolate chips instead.

Whole Mini Eggs can be a choking hazard for small children under the age of five, so if I use them in any baking recipe, such as Easter Cookies with Mini Eggs I cut them in half using either a knife or crush them into 2-3 pieces using the end of a rolling pin.

Mini Egg Brownies

Here's how:

• 250g dark chocolate 
• 185g salted butter at room temperature
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• 300g Mini Eggs

Firstly put the oven onto 180 degrees and grease and line a square or rectangular dish or tin. 

Place a small pan of water on to boil. Break up 200g of the dark chocolate and pop into a bowl with the butter and place over the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until completely melted into chocolate lava, remove from the heat and set aside for the minute.

In a mixing bowl crack the eggs and add the caster sugar and vanilla and whisk for a few minutes until light and frothy. Set aside.

Into another bowl, sieve in the flour, cocoa and pinch of salt and give a rough stir to combine.

Now cut the remaining dark chocolate into small chunks, and cut or bash up the Mini Eggs. If you're making the brownies only for adult-consumption, you can of course keep them whole. 

Now gently pour in about half of the melted chocolate and butter into the whisked eggs and sugar, and use a wooden spoon to gently fold in, using a figure of eight technique. Be careful to be gentle here as you don't want to knock out all of the air. 

Once they are combined, repeat the process with the flour and cocoa into the chocolate batter. 

Once completely combined, add the chocolate chunks and two thirds of the Mini Eggs and give one final stir and then pour the batter into the dish and place into the oven for 28 minutes exactly.

Mini Egg Brownies

Once out of the oven, allow to stand in the dish for at least 30 minutes, and then use a sharp knife to cut into the portion size you require and enjoy!

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

This is an utterly delicious vegetarian friendly family meal and you can use absolutely any vegetables you have to hand for it - and especially your family's favourites. 

If you like a satay style dish, this is for you and it is super versatile so use whatever you have to hand to make it work.

We are in worrying times right now, and a lot of ingredients are either not available or have become like gold dust but the heart of this dish is in just x4 store cupboard ingredients; peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce and noodles or long, thin pasta as I have used here. You can honestly use any vegetables you like and if you're a fan of spicy food, add a red chilli (chilli oil, or a chilli flakes) to crank up the heat, but this is very much kid-friendly for my household. 

This dish could also be improved with a few coriander leaves or even snipped chives - but in my haste to eat today, I forgot to add these. 

We have to be adaptable to what we have and so I will try to share a few store cupboard recipes in the hope it might help someone that is fridge foraging and wondering what to make with the contents on their cupboards. Where you see an ingredient that you don't have and you're not sure what you could replace it with, please contact me and I'll make a suggestion.

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

Here's how:

• 300g egg noodles (spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle would also work!)
• 1 garlic clove (Very Easy Garlic, Garlic Infused Oil or a pinch of Garlic Salt)
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger (use ground if you can't get fresh)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 courgette
• Half a head of broccoli
• 1 pepper 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (if you don't stock this as a last resort you could use Worcestershire sauce, just reduce slightly)
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice (you could use a pinch each of Cayenne Pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves if you don't stock Five Spice)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (any vegetable or nut oil would suffice)
• 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 tin of coconut milk (you could use a cream, creme fraiche or an almond milk)
• 1 tsp Sriracha 
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 lime (use a lemon if you can't get a lime, or even a drop of a Jif Lemon)

Firstly put a pot of salted water on to boil. Once brought up to boil, cook the noodles.

In the meantime, place the sesame oil into a wok on a medium heat.

Mince the garlic and finely chop the ginger and add to the wok with the soy sauce. 

Cut or break the broccoli into florets and add to the wok.

Peel and then cut the carrot into thin matchsticks, slice the pepper and add both to the wok.

Cut the courgette in half, and then cut into small slices and add to the pan. 

Once all of the vegetables have cooked for a moment, add the peanut butter and a drop of sriracha and use a wooden spatula to move around and break down a little. 

Now add the coconut milk and give a good stir.

Once the noodles or pasta are cooked, use tongs or a spaghetti server to lift into the peanutty vegetables and give a good stir to ensure the noodles get a good coating. 

Dish up onto a big bowl or a platter, squeeze over the juice of a lime and scatter over the sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

This one-pot rice dish is a family crowd-pleaser and super easy, making it a perfect mid-week meal.

Glen and I love a little more heat than the below produces, but that is the family and child-friendly version. I tend to dish up the children’s portions and then stir through a heaped teaspoon full of chipotle paste into the remaining jambalaya for us adults.

Prawns and chorizo are perfect partners but this also works well with chicken and chorizo too so use whichever you prefer.

The below serves 4-5.

Prawn and Chorizo Jambalaya

Here’s how:

• 260g cooking chorizo sausages
• 160g raw peeled prawns
• 1 large white onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (I use X)
• 300g long grain rice (rinsed with cold water)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 375ml chicken stock
• 150g peas (fresh or frozen)
• Handful fresh parsley leaves

Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and chop the red pepper into small pieces and set aside for the moment.

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and place on a low heat. (I use a cast iron skillet with a lid)

Slice the chorizo into thin ‘coins’ and pop into the pan to gently cook. Turn them over to cook on both sides. The chorizo will release it’s contained oils which you’ll cook everything else in.

Next add the onion, garlic and red pepper to the pan and allow to soften just a little.

Now add the Cajun seasoning and stir through.

Next add the rinsed long grain rice and stir through. Cook for a few minutes like this, stirring to ensure a good coating of the now-flavoured chorizo oil. If you find there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a tbsp of olive or vegetable oil at this point to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan during cooking.

Now pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir through with the tomato paste. Cover with the chicken stock, season with salt and black pepper and give it a good stir.

Now pop the lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through (if you haven’t got a lid for the dish, place a baking tray on top to help the cooking process along quickly).

Take the lid off every five minutes or so to stir and ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once satisfied the rice is almost cooked to taste, and most of the stock has been absorbed, add the peas and allow to cook for a further two minutes.

During those final cooking moments, roughly chop the parsley and simply scatter over the finished dish before bringing to the table to serve. Enjoy!

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

This is a creamy and moreish salmon pasta bake that is a real crowd pleaser. 

I use half fat creme fraiche, but you could use full fat, and I've made this with smoked mackerel before, as well as bacon and chicken - it's a versatile base but I would change to thyme if making with chicken. 

The below is enough for 4-5 people and is a great make-ahead meal for mid-week.

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

Here's how:

• 3 spring onions
• 1 clove of garlic
• 300ml half fat creme fraiche
• 1 lemon 
• Half a side of salmon (or about 450-500g)
• 200g peas
• 150g spinach
• Handful fresh dill
• Drizzle olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 20g grated Cheddar or any other hard cheese
• 1 pack gnocchi

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and place a large pot of water on to boil. 

Drizzle the olive oil into a large frying pan and place on a low heat.

Finely chop the spring onions and mince the garlic and add to the pan. 

Once they are soft add the creme fraiche and give a gentle stir. 

Zest the lemon and add to the sauce, then cut the lemon in half and add the juice of 1/2 the lemon to the sauce, again stirring. Season with salt and black pepper and then add the peas and spinach stir through and remove from the heat.

Now cook the gnocchi accordingly, if fresh it usually takes just two minutes and in the meantime chop the salmon into bite-sized pieces and add to the sauce mixture. Take about half of the dill and chop or pull apart and add into the sauce and give a final stir through.

Drain the gnocchi and add to the sauce and give a good stir to ensure it gets a really coating and then pour or spoon everything into an oven-proof dish. Try to distribute as evenly as possible and then give a final seasoning, scatter over the grated cheese and the remaining dill. 

Salmon and Dill Gnocchi Bake

Place in the oven for twenty minutes. Enjoy!