2 Recipes for Using Leftover Chicken

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I hate leftovers, but I love being able to use up leftovers in a different dish. Sometimes, I even plan for leftovers…some cooks call this “cook once and eat twice”. Call it what you like, but it’s nice not to worry about preparing a full meal from scratch every night of the week.

Before we get onto the recipes….I have a winner for the Late July giveaway. Thanks to all who participated; this sure has been a learning experience for me. I used random.org to pick the winner.

On Monday, I shared a recipe for Triple Citrus Roasted Chicken. I was able to sneak some away from my family so that we would have plenty for my planned leftovers. First, an easy and healthy roasted chicken sandwich which is perfect lunch or picnic dish. You will even make your own honey mustard…it’s easy, I promise and super tasty. And second, one of my family’s favorites, Chicken and Dumplings. Thanks to my sister who shared her recipe with me on a recent trip to visit her family.

Roasted Chicken Sandwich

2 slices bread (I used a multigrain oat bread)
2 slices tomato
1 large leaf of lettuce
sliced chicken, skin on (about 4-5 pieces that are 1×3 inches long)
mustard
honey

Toast bread. Combine mustard and honey (2:1  Start with 2 tbls mustard and 1 tbl honey. Stir and taste. Adjust to your personal taste.)  Layer ingredients from the bottom up: bread, honey mustard, chicken, tomato (season your tomato here the way you like your tomatoes; I used a touch of salt), lettuce, and top with your last slice of bread.

If packing this to-go, pack everything separately and combine when you arrive at your destination or during your lunch break. Nothing is worse than a soggy sandwich.

Chicken and Dumplings 

3-4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 cups water, 3-4 cups
1 cup onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, cut in half
3 medium carrots, diced
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons sage, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups biscuit mix
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Place chicken, water, onion, celery, carrots, celery seed, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp sage in a pan. Cover & simmer 30-45 minutes or until veggies are tender.

For dumplings, combine biscuit mix, milk, parsley, 1 tsp sage to form a stiff batter. (I’ve had to increase the milk on occasion, but the batter needs to be very stiff…it will soak up the extra liquid in the pan when cooking)

Remove celery from pot (you can chop them finely and leave them in, it’s a personal preference sort of thing). Drop dough by tablespoons onto the simmering mixture. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (no peaking….it’s tempting, but do not lift lid).

NOTE: You need a lot of liquid for this to cook properly and not burn while the dumplings cook. I aim for a soup like consistency (water up to the top of the ingredients) before adding the dumplings.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6