# tell me your favorite use for leftover chicken **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106 "2009-10-08T21:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/1 "2009-10-08T21:18:06Z")
I have some leftover chicken (white meat) sitting in the fridge. I’m too tired to cook much from scratch tonight, and would like to do something incorporating the meat I’ve already got, but I’m also too tired to be creative. So I turn to you, Dopers: what’s your favorite, nommiest, most wonderful use for some already cooked chicken meat? Bonus points if it won’t require a huge amount of time, effort, or a special trip to the store. 😉 I’ve seen countless recipes over the years that start with “buy a rotisserie chicken and then …” and for the life of me can’t really think of a single one now. I usually use up leftovers by making Asian potstickers, but I’ve kind of played that card too many times, and Mr. Shoe is getting tired of them. I need a new trick. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/2 "2009-10-08T21:41:10Z")
Shredded cooked chicken is an awesome thing. Peanut chicken noodles: Shredded chicken Chicken broth, or, failing that, water Soy Sauce Any Asian-type sauces or spices, like rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic chili paste, hoisin, etc. Peanut butter Noodles Heat cooked chicken in chicken broth or water, adding seasonings like soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic chili paste until you have a nicely flavored broth. When it’s not quite boiling add a glop of peanut butter, stir until smooth. Stir your chicken and peanut sauce into cooked noodles. I like to add any fresh veggies I have, broccoli, green onions, cucumber, shredded carrot, green onion. Fresh basil or cilantro is nice, too. I add the veggies when serving, not even really concerned with warming them up, but you could add them earlier, too. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/3 "2009-10-08T21:49:28Z")
I just microwave it a minute and eat it. Finger food. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/4 "2009-10-08T21:53:57Z")
Chicken casserole - Chicken + noodles + frozen broccoli + cheese + cream of something soup. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/5 "2009-10-08T21:58:12Z")
Chicken salad. Or, chicken on salad. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/6 "2009-10-08T22:01:48Z")
Chicken enchiladas ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/7 "2009-10-08T22:08:40Z")
Chicken quesadillas: Saute chunks of the chicken with onions, peppers and/or leftover or frozen veggies and Mexican spices. Melt some shredded cheese on tortillas, either on a griddle or in the microwave. Add the chicken mix to the tortillas and fold. Takes about ten minutes. ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/8 "2009-10-08T22:12:12Z")
Chicken Saurkraut Soup Modify ingredients according to taste/what’s in the pantry: Handful of cooked chicken Drained jar of kraut (wine kraut is great) Can of cream-of-whatever soup Can of whole corn Can of peas Can of carrots Can of sliced mushrooms (or substitute frozen mixed veggies for canned) Dump into pot, warm through, serve with bread (crusty sour dough french is tasty) It reheats very well either on the stovetop or microwave ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/9 "2009-10-08T22:12:37Z")
I’ll usually cook a pot of rice, then add the cut up chicken and mix. If I’ve been working on a bottle of wine, I’ll pour some in too. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/10 "2009-10-09T01:00:28Z")
Chicken Stir-Fry Cut up the chicken into strips. Cut up various vegetables – green and red peppers, onions, carrots, celery. You can add whatever else – broccoli, bean shoots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, jucama, baby corn. Cook in a heated wok with heated oil in the bottom. The order is important – I do carrots first. add the chicken last. Keep the wok hot and continually stir. After completing the cooking, add a bit of sauce for flavor. You can use a bottled sauce or make your own. Don’t drown the vegetables in sauce. Serve with white or brown rice. Sometime Pepper Mill makes casserole, or a chicken pot pie. But Stir Fry is easier and faster. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/11 "2009-10-09T01:44:41Z")
Wired together as a necklace. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/12 "2009-10-09T02:02:38Z")
Probably requires a trip to the store, though. Tuscan chicken pasta Cook pasta (preferably chunky, like ziti or penne) Microwave 1/2 t red pepper flakes, 2 cloves garlic and 6 T olive oil together for about 1 minute (Optional: reheat chicken in pan with a little of the oil mixture) Toss chicken, pasta, oil mixture, 5 oz arugula or baby spinach, 1/2 c fresh basil, juice from 2 lemons, some lemon zest, 1 c shredded parmesan, salt, pepper. Bonus points: goat cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/13 "2009-10-09T04:00:46Z")
SO what did you end up doing? ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/14 "2009-10-09T04:18:18Z")
I just put leftover chicken in a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/15 "2009-10-09T05:32:45Z")
Chip it up, mix with your favorite BBQ sauce, heat, season to taste, serve on toasted hamburger buns with chips and napkins. Pickle is optional. ---
**Author:** ![JoseArcadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@JoseArcadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseArcadio)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/16 "2009-10-09T09:57:13Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > I just put leftover chicken in a sandwich. Same. I always have mine with some lettuce and tomato ketchup. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/17 "2009-10-09T10:09:56Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > I just put leftover chicken in a sandwich. Yup, toss it on some bread with Best Food’s mayo and some mustard and salt and pepper. Also, Chinese Chicken Salad. I’ve been using boiled ramen noodles with dressing made from soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/18 "2009-10-09T12:33:44Z")
My husband likes chicken quesadillas: Shred the chicken, brush a flour tortilla with a little butter and put it face down on the skillet, sprinkle on the chicken, cover with shredded cheddar or queso blanco, cover with another tortilla, brush the top with a little more butter, flip when brown. Cut with pizza cutter and serve with salsa or sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/19 "2009-10-09T16:06:27Z")
Besides “chicken in a microwave”, chicken quesadillas would be the next easiest, with chicken enchiladas being a close third. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106/20 "2009-10-09T16:15:10Z")
> [@Baggins111](#): > > SO what did you end up doing? Boiled up some mini penne, made some pesto sauce (one of those Knorr packets - I love 'em!) and shredded the chicken into the sauced pasta. I thought about adding pine nuts and then promptly forgot. It was good! 🙂 I love that line of mini-pastas that Barilla has come out with, although the annoying music for the TV ads they constantly replay make me want to kill something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-your-favorite-use-for-leftover-chicken/513106.md?page=2)