I love making a roast chicken on a Sunday – especially in winter. It reminds me of my childhood and family lunches. However, my current household is a family of two: me and my boyfriend. And while we love our home smelling like comfort food all day long, there is the waste-factor worry.

Determined to not let go of my nostalgia, I’ve been making a roast chicken nearly every weekend and finding clever ways to use up all the leftovers! Including the very tiny delicious bits that sit tightly on the bones. So, here are five easy ways to use that chicken!

The Roast

Let’s start at the beginning. My fave way to roast chicken is to do everything in one giant casserole dish.

I line the bottom on the tray with thick onion slices, whole garlic gloves (skin on) and chopped sweet potatoes. I then stuff my chicken with lemons and fresh thyme. I squeeze extra lemon juice over everything, scatter over some zest and season with salt, pepper, smokey paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Once everything is in, I add a splash of white wine (totally optional) and a good drizzle of olive oil and pop it in the oven to cook away at 200 degrees for an hour to and hour and half, depending on the size of the chicken.

YUM!

The Leftovers

1/ The Ultimate Sarmie

Something my boyfriend begs me to make at the weekends is a good sandwich. It’s something of a treat for us after along morning cycle. I usually make them with gorgeous fresh bread from the market (100% rye for me and gut-healthy sourdough for him) and loads of fresh salad ingredients.

I shred or finely chop some of the leftover chicken and mix it with some home-made mayonnaise (one egg, whisked with juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and canola oil). The layering usually looks something like this: butter lettuce, tomato, avocado, chicken-mayo mix, sriracha sauce. And sometimes it’s like this: hummus, chicken pieces, lettuce, cucumber and jalapenos.

2/ Sexy Mexican Nachos

I LOVE Mexican food. And I don’t mean the cheesy, nasty, cholesterol-laden Mexican… I mean clean, modern Mexican. Think lots of coriander, avocado and lime instead of melted cheddar. So when I feel like nachos, I get good-quality gluten-free corn tacos (try Santa Anna’s Organic Corn Tacos at Faithful-To-Nature) and pile them up with loads of zesty gaucamole, freshly chopped tomato and red pepper, torn coriander and shredded chicken heated in a spicy salsa sauce (you can find ready-made salsa at most supermarkets).

The last bit is really easy to make: you literally pour your salsa sauce into a pot, heat up until bubbling and add your leftover chicken. Cook until hot and add to your pile of nachos. Serve immediately! You can also use this same chicken-salsa combo in a wrap with some fresh lettuce, avocado and spring onions.

3/ Thai Spring Rolls

Gluten-free and light, these rice-paper spring rolls are an ideal starter, picnic food or light dinner. The assembly ingredients are simple and it’s the spicy tamari peanut sauce that males them super tasty. These are great to make when you have ingredients like this in your fridge: half a pepper, a carrot, a courgette, a quarter avo… You see where I’m going? They’re a great way to get rid of all those leftover veggies and salad ingredients. Use the recipe link below and just add in some of that yummy leftover chicken.

READ MORE: How To Make Thai-Style Vegan Spring Rolls For Summer

4/ Chicken Caesar Salad With A Healthy Twist

Ditch the croutons and pile on some energising eggs. This simple salad is a great way to use leftover chicken breast. Simply toss it with some good crispy lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, some fresh herbs and a dressing to tie it all together. Want a slightly more gourmet version? See the recipe link below.

READ MORE: You’ll Keep Coming Back To This Hearty High-Protein Amasi Caesar Salad

5/ Chicken Soup For Your Soul

Don’t throw that carcass away! It yields the most nutritious immune-boosting soup. Here’s my recipe!

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