Spring Chicken!

So, I haven't had much time to cook this week. I just finished a major Spring Cleaning and have been too exhausted to do anything but rest my aching bones. And, I'll admit I'm a bit reluctant to make a mess.

But, it is almost Easter, and seeing that chicks and Easter Eggs abound, it only makes sense to focus on chicken this week.

(Thanks Chris, for the pic of Peeps® on a stick.)
So, I rallied and made some Velvet Chicken -- and I used the moist, lovely meat in a Chicken Tikka and Chicken Pot Pie this week, both of which were amazing. Which got me thinking that there's a lot you can do with chicken, if you have it handy.

Here are some quick ideas.  (Pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home, open some canned chicken breast, toss a couple unfrozen breasts in a Zip N' Steam bag, or take a thawed roaster and make Velvet Chicken and go from there.)

  • Chicken Tacos:  Season shredded chicken with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, a pinch of cinnamon and a few tablespoons of water, and heat through. Fill flour tortillas, top with shredded pepper jack cheese, sour cream and salsa, cilantro if you have it.
  • Chicken Paninis are a great way to use up leftover chicken.
  • Chicken Chili: Make your usual famous chili, but use shredded chicken instead of ground beef.
  • Harried Housewife Chicken Pot Pie: (Not as good as the homemade version, but close.) Take a bag of frozen veggies, mix with shredded chicken, a jar of chicken gravy and some parsley and thyme, heat through in a large pot, then fill pie shell, top with pie dough, crescent roll dough, or biscuit dough and back until golden brown and bubbly. (I am not a huge fan of gravy in a jar, but desperate times call for desperate measures. However, you can make your own "white gravy" quickly by melting butter, then stirring in equal parts flour, cooking until you have a light brown roux, then stir in cup or two of chicken stock and some heavy cream and simmer until thick. Add salt/pepper to taste.)
  • Chicken and Biscuits make for a quick and comforting meal.
  • Chicken Tikka: All I can say is, yum.
  • Make an amazing, but easy Chicken Stew with chickpeas and couscous.
  • Use it in a lovely, decadent Chicken Lasagna --it's already cooked, so saves a step!
  • Shredded chicken is great in a Curry Noodle Soup!  Just skip the cooking step and add the cooked meat in at the end.
Shelburne Farms Chicken
I'm always hunting for a new recipe...what's your go-to chicken dish?

xoxo