Talking chicken- leftovers with few ingredients

[TwoMisfits]

So I want to say I do cook BUT I was feeling really stressed and whipped up a meal that, well, wasn't great but my kids ate it without complaint. I THINK it could be better. I wanted chicken pot pie but don't have creamed chicken so I made a roux then added chicken broth - which apparently doesn't sit well because although it tasted ok it got REALLY gummy - too much flour I'm sure so I need a rule of thumb ratio I think. I mixed it with poultry seasoning and sauteed onions, a half can of peas and carrots then dropped some chopped chicken in it. I wanted to do the pie crust but was getting anxious so I put on top of potatoes. I have been using more potatoes since weight watchers and they make most things better. BUT, with the steadily gluing soup base it was too heavy. I do love my kids for braving it and thanking me Tomorrow will be better

It probably wasn't too much flour, but too little liquid (or too little original fat, but I'm thinking the broth)...you really want more than you think you need b/c once it hits a boil, it will firm up...and you can always add more broth then...

When I make it, I add a little liquid to "get the mix going", then I keep adding as I keep the heat on, til I like the liquidity...erring on over vs under tends to be the way my family likes...and it also depends on the veg - if you add a veg that will release a lot of water continually through a cook (like zucchini), you can err on the side of less liquid...

And since you want easy...I made butter chicken curry with my leftover duck tonight...but it can easily be regular butter chicken - it's all from cans (the recipe is on the back - I use coconut milk vs cream...but probably any milk product would work - I also use almost double the milk product b/c I tone it down - I do 2 packets, 2 lbs of protein, 2 cans of tomato sauce, and 1 can of full fat coconut milk...and then I roast about 2 lbs of different veg separately - this is for 6 people)...

It goes right over rice...and you can roast any veg to add to it (I did it tonight with sunchokes, zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers), but leave them separate if kids rebel (so serve rice, then veg, then sauce and meat over the top - leave veg out for kids)...

https://www.amazon.com/Simply-India...5778380&sprefix=butter+chicken,aps,211&sr=8-2
You can get singular packets of the spice from Amazon Pantry, but then you need a $35 order...this and tikka masala work well...

PS - And you can dip any bread in leftover sauce...

 

[Erica Ladd]

Homemade chicken nuggets (all you need is egg, flour, breadcrumbs and oil for frying)

Our family fave are pretzel chicken nuggets. If you have any pretzels (or get creative) just roll them out with a rolling pin in a ziplock and use as breadcrumbs. DH still wants to open up a food truck one day based on our pretzel nuggets!!! (Had them at Cheesecake Factory as a limited time app and fell in love!)
We just dredge in a bag (flour,garlic powder,salt,pepper) then egg then pretzel crumbs. Soooo good!!!

Thanks for the recipes! Soooo many good ideas. Those who mention meals without recipes if it's a thing you can add please do, or maybe just some guesstimate hints on amounts and such I need to go cabinet diving I think and see what I have.

If you can report what you do have on hand we can prolly think of more specific ifeas

 

[DLgal]

Our family fave are pretzel chicken nuggets. If you have any pretzels (or get creative) just roll them out with a rolling pin in a ziplock and use as breadcrumbs. DH still wants to open up a food truck one day based on our pretzel nuggets!!! (Had them at Cheesecake Factory as a limited time app and fell in love!)
We just dredge in a bag (flour,garlic powder,salt,pepper) then egg then pretzel crumbs. Soooo good!!!





If you can report what you do have on hand we can prolly think of more specific ifeas

That's a good idea!

You can also use goldfish crackers. Or waffle cones (sounds crazy, but it's like chicken and waffles)

 

[Hiitsme]

Quick breads and drop biscuits don't need yeast. You can add some dried herbs to the mix. I added some rosemary and they were pretty good.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I'm not familiar with making my own bread, quick or otherwise or biscuits but I guess now is a good time to learn- any good from scratch recipes? I am grateful to have some recipes & ideas to look through. I currently have the 3 extra breasts I made yesterday for tonight. My son is in favor of a tex-mex type meal - I think we could use some comfort flavors at the moment as we get used to the new normal.

I do have some pretzels, some ritz crackers which I've been using to offset all the sandwiches - a cracker with a bit of cheese and mustard is deceptively yummy, a bunch of plain tortilla chips, cheerios, breadcrumbs so the breaded options will work.

I grabbed a bunch of cheeses.

I have broth so if I can make creamy things if I master the roux thing. I only ever made it for quick gravy and chicken marsala - its an art I think.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Well, this is as good a time as any to work on your cooking and baking skills, right?

I don't have recipes on-hand, but biscuits rise with baking powder. Also, baking soda + cream of tarter = baking powder. I've been using Bisquick, but we're running low--my gang loves pancakes. But, I have a recipe for homemade Bisquick, and I have flour.

If you get a chance, browse Pinterest--you might be able to find a recipe or three that fits what you have available.

Most importantly, keep in mind that some of the world's best recipes have been "oops" recipes--the baker who invented brownies forgot to put leavening in her chocolate cake. The woman who invented chocolate chip cookies forgot to add her chocolate to her cookies, so she chopped it up, hoping it would melt and mix in with the cookies in the oven. We all are forever grateful to these cooks and their mistakes! So, don't be afraid to experiment, you don't know what head-scratching mistake will lead to greatness.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I threw out the cream of tartar I had a few years back and never replaced it because I had zero idea of why I even had it :/ . I bet its as tough to get as yeast right now

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Chicken and dumplings. You can either poach your chicken breasts, shred it and then make "drop dumplings" to put on the top, or you can even make the chicken in the crockpot with some extra broth (or cream of whatever soup). Then shred the chicken, turn the crockpot up to high and add in quartered canned biscuits (or make your own). Let it cook for another 30-45 minutes and voila! it's done.

 

[disneyseniors]

OP, I've had the same problem with chicken breasts and recipes. I found one that I am going to try tomorrow!
It's Coated Chix Breasts:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 small can of French fried onions
Crush ritz crackers (or your favorite) to make 2 cups of crumbs.
1/4 cup of flour

Put crackers, FF onions in a baggie and crush to crumbs, then add flour.

1 egg, stirred. Dip chicken in egg, then in crumbs.
Put on baking paper or lined with aluminum foil baking pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It can get dried out while baking, so cover with foil or put in a baking bag.

It sounds lovely, so hope it turns out tomorrow. I'll let you know

 

[QueenIsabella]

I threw out the cream of tartar I had a few years back and never replaced it because I had zero idea of why I even had it :/ . I bet its as tough to get as yeast right now

Maybe not. I was in the local grocery, and I happened to be in the baking supply aisle with a woman who was looking for cream of tartar. There was plenty on the shelf (with the little jars of spices, in the "McCormick" display). I even managed to snag yeast, but it was a jar of fast-rising yeast. They had the yeast packets, as well.

I don't use cream of tartar very often, but it's called for in Snickerdoodles, which are DH's favorite cookie. If you decide to try making Snickerdoodles, please, please use real butter! It makes a difference!

 

[Searc]

Maybe not. I was in the local grocery, and I happened to be in the baking supply aisle with a woman who was looking for cream of tartar. There was plenty on the shelf (with the little jars of spices, in the "McCormick" display). I even managed to snag yeast, but it was a jar of fast-rising yeast. They had the yeast packets, as well.

I don't use cream of tartar very often, but it's called for in Snickerdoodles, which are DH's favorite cookie. If you decide to try making Snickerdoodles, please, please use real butter! It makes a difference!

If I'm not using real butter, I'm not baking anything. We only use butter, anyway. No fake stuff here.

 

[QueenIsabella]

If I'm not using real butter, I'm not baking anything. We only use butter, anyway. No fake stuff here.

I hear you, but I have 4 kids. If I'm making something where the taste won't matter, I go with margarine. I bake in bulk! But, for butter cookies, spritz, and of course, snickerdoodles--it matters!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Go to Food.com and check out their recipes. I've gotten a lot of good ones there. Like Cajun Chicken Pasta.

 

[HeatherC]

Was going to make Cajun Chicken Pasta but was out of seasoning. So tonight is grilled chicken with copycat Chick Fil A Sauce.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Recipes please?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Recipes please?

Food.com They have tons of great recipes.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I have been trying to add as much vegetables as possible to meals lately, I think/hope that as it gets warmer fresh produce will pop up on roadsides. Wondering at what point carrots and sweet potatoes will make us look orangish.

I have discovered that rice meat dishes, like stuffed peppers - can go for 2 meals if I add more veggies or carbs to the main meal with just 1/2 pepper and meat/rice mix per person. I then take 1/2 the pot and make it a rich &nutritious side dish for a day or 2 later. Today the second half is going to be paired with baked chicken, I think.

Thinking I'll do Rachel Ray's Turkey Shepherds pie tomorrow and just serve it on top of a baked potato - leftovers will go with rice maybe Thursday.

 

[wide awake]

For the PP who needed help with white sauce: A thin sauce is 1:1:1 so 1 Table butter, melt, add 1 Table flour, cook for a minute or so, than one cup of liquid, ok to dump all in at once as long as you stir. If I'm making gravy or sauce for chicken pot pie I use broth. If I'm making white sauce for mac and cheese I use milk. Medium sauce is 2:2:1, and thick sauce 3:3:1. Medium version is what I use for a pot pie, gravy, or white sauce. Season appropriately, for example for chicken pot pie I would use salt and pepper, and perhaps some sage and dried parsley. For mac and cheese the white sauce is seasoned with salt and pepper, dry mustard, and a teas of Tabasco. If you're creaming something the ratio is about 1/2 sauce to 1 solid, so for mac and cheese I would make 3 cups of sauce, count about another cup for cheese, and then 8 cups cooked pasta.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

For the PP who needed help with white sauce: A thin sauce is 1:1:1 so 1 Table butter, melt, add 1 Table flour, cook for a minute or so, than one cup of liquid, ok to dump all in at once as long as you stir. If I'm making gravy or sauce for chicken pot pie I use broth. If I'm making white sauce for mac and cheese I use milk. Medium sauce is 2:2:1, and thick sauce 3:3:1. Medium version is what I use for a pot pie, gravy, or white sauce. Season appropriately, for example for chicken pot pie I would use salt and pepper, and perhaps some sage and dried parsley. For mac and cheese the white sauce is seasoned with salt and pepper, dry mustard, and a teas of Tabasco. If you're creaming something the ratio is about 1/2 sauce to 1 solid, so for mac and cheese I would make 3 cups of sauce, count about another cup for cheese, and then 8 cups cooked pasta.

Exactly what I was going to say. I use a 1:1 ratio butter to flour, 1 T flour for every T of butter I melt. When I make chicken pot pie, I use both milk and chicken broth as liquid. I add quite a bit of liquid, then add my mixed veggies, frozen hash brown potato cubes, shredded chicken, and seasonings. I often take the shortcut of topping it with crescent roll dough instead of pie crust. My family likes it better.

 

[meohmy]

Rice tray bake.
Add rice, chopped chicken, your choice of vegetables and herbs, season and cover with chicken/vegetable stock and cook until rice is absorbed. Bacon or chorizo adds to this dish but is not essential.

Chicken parcels.
Give each person a foil parcel containing chicken, diced potatoes, vegetables, mini corn cob, herbs, season and drizzle with oil. Bake until cooked. This is a good dish for children to help with as they can choose which vegetables they have.

Chicken kebabs.
Add whichever vegetables or fruit you like and serve with salad/rice/flatbread. It is better to marinate the meat overnight.

BLT
A chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with a bowl of soup can be a welcome change for dinner, especially if followed by dessert! My children also like cheese added to this sandwich.

There are a multitude of bread/flatbread recipes online and I am sure you will find one that suits the contents of your pantry.

I wish my children would even try chicken pie.