Maybe you go a great deal on whole chickens, picked up a rotisserie at the store, or got a huge Turkey for Thanksgiving. Regardless, there are lots of fun ways to save your bird for other meals. For us, chicken and turkey are fairly interchangeable, so don’t be afraid to make some turkey and dumplings instead of with chicken and vice versa. Here are some of our favorite leftover chicken recipes for an entire week of meals with shredded chicken.
A year ago my second daughter was born. A sweet family we had known for years dropped off a large rotisserie chicken, some veggies, and bread to help cover meals for us, especially since our daughter was a home birth.
But I felt like I was eating chicken for days.
And itwas the same feeling I get every Thanksgiving — the never ending turkey syndrome.
But since I had just given birth, I needed some really easy meal ideas that didn’t keep me on my feet for a long period of time or that I could quickly whip up. So it was mission of mine to curate a list of recipes that use shredded chicken (because that’s what it would be once I tore it with my bare hands off the bone).
And now, it’s a common meal plan in our home to buy a whole chicken or turkey and use it in various ways throughout the entire week. Because it’s easy. In fact, it’s also a great way to ensure that all of the food in our fridge gets used.
What to do with leftovers from whole chickens and turkeys
The first thing I always do it rip the meat off the bones and put it in a storage container. Not only does this mean I am doing the prep work for all my favorite shredded chicken recipes, but it also means that I can go ahead and use the bones to make homemade broth.
Which in turn helps with making some of the other meals for the week.
Plus, if you’re worried about the chicken going bad, all of the shredded portions can be frozen and put away to pull out when you’re ready to make on of the leftover chicken recipes below.
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
One of our favorite meals after a big chicken is a healthy and hearty chicken noodle soup. It’s a great way to use your fresh, homemade broth and a comforting meal with tons of veggies.
We recently made this and varied it ourselves, making our own spice similar to berebere. My Indian, Ethiopian, and Thai food loving husband approved so much that he couldn’t stop talking about it and begged me to make it again this week.
Chicken Wraps
A quick and simple lunch idea is to throw together some tasty lettuce and veggies wraps with your turkey or chicken. In fact, throw in some of the cranberry sauce you may have leftover from your Thanksgiving meal and it’s quite a tasty lunch creation.
Chicken & Dumplings
The simple way to make chicken and dumplings is to boil your chicken/turkey stock that you made from the bones, toss in biscuits torn in thirds, and add your shredded chicken. Season it as desired. It’s an extraordinarily easy dumpling recipe.
White Chicken Chili
Our familyloves chili. In fact, so much so that it’s my 10 month old’s favorite food. So shake up your normalchili recipeand make this variation with this zesty chicken chili recipe.
Chicken Penne Ricotta Bake
While meat was never a part of my original recipe, my husband kindly mentioned that i should maybe add some to this really tasty dish. And so, I did. Just take about a cup of shredded chicken and layer it on top of the noodles to make this delicious meal evenheartier.
What a great way to get lots of veggies and fill up your tummies with a delicious meal. And especially because when you get to the end of the week you may be running low on chicken, this is a great appetizer too to go with a pasta dish.
A few bonus ways to use that turkey & leftover chicken
Barbecue Chicken Dip Cups
Mexican Lasagna
Tetrazzini
Kara Carrero
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
