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Leftover roast chicken still around in the fridge? If you cooked an entire chicken over the weekend with potatoes and root veggies, repurpose whatever was left behind cleverly to make your weekday cooking quicker, easier and delicious.
Instead of having the chicken by itself over and over, shred or slice it and use it to make sumptuous sandwiches for working brunches or lunches. Complete with wholesome flavours, these sandwiches, made using the most complementary breads, will elevate your meals on a working day.
Classic Chicken Mayo Sandwich
Recommended Bread: Whole Wheat
Shred the roast chicken and mix it with mayonnaise, some white pepper, finely chopped celery, a hint of smoked paprika and a sprinkling of lime juice. Season lightly with salt. This creamy and dense chicken stuffing can be placed between two slices of soft, whole wheat sandwich bread or milk bread. Add some lettuce leaves to bring a crispy texture into the sandwich. The softness of the bread will complement the creaminess of the stuffing to make this a lunch favourite on a routine weekday.
Spicy Chicken Masala Sandwich
Recommended Bread: Lightly Toasted Pav
Slice the leftover roast chicken into small pieces and sautée them with onions, green chillies, some garam masala and just a little bit of tomato purée. This rich, masala-flavoured chicken can be stuffed inside pav or white sandwich bread. Toast the bread lightly to avoid it from becoming soggy, so it can hold the structure of the sandwich. Add some cheese to balance out the heat in the pav and finely chopped coriander too, for a herbaceous and savoury flourish. Thin cucumber slices can also be used while building the sandwich to lend it a cooling effect.
Chicken Sliders BBQ Style
Recommended Bread: Brioche Buns
Roast chicken can be reinvented in quite a number of creative ways that completely turn around its simple flavours, and make it that much more complex. BBQ chicken sliders made by mixing shredded roast chicken with barbecue sauce is one such option. Add chilli flakes into the stuffing for a spicy flavour and keep some coleslaw ready on the side. Layer brioche buns with crunchy coleslaw and BBQ sauce chicken and slightly warm them up before serving. The sliders are great options for a late lunch eaten closer to tea time than a luncheon hour!
Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich
Recommended Bread: Ciabatta
Slices of leftover roast chicken, hummus, olives and an olive oil drizzle can come together in this chicken sandwich recipe which repurposes your leftovers and turns them into a cosy Mediterranean fare. Adding crumbled feta and arugula into the chicken sandwich can bring in some creamy, crispy elements, which promise a textural depth. Use lightly toasted and generously buttered ciabatta bread whose spongy volume will give more substance to the sandwich. Stuff it generously and enjoy with a side of garlic aioli as a sumptuous afternoon repast on a working day.
Chicken Pesto And Cheese Melt
Recommended Bread: Sourdough
Make fresh pesto at home within minutes by grinding aromatic basil leaves, some almonds, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix the pesto with sliced roast chicken until it is fully covered with the sauce. Now, stuff this between two slices of sourdough and top the stuffing off with grated mozzarella. Toss the sandwich in the oven for a few minutes so the cheese melts into a delightful, stretchy golden hue. The chicken pesto and cheese melt sandwich can be served with a light salad made using crushed lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of lime juice, some chilli flakes and pink salt. Add caramelised onions or tomatoes to the sandwich to introduce another flavour layer into this brightly flavoured brunchtime meal.
