A store-bought roast chicken is one of my favourite shortcuts, because it’s ready to be shredded and made into something new. These three recipes are perfect examples.
No cooked chook? As a rough guide, two to three cups of shredded cooked chicken is equivalent to two large chicken breasts or four to six chicken thighs, depending on size.
Cheesy chicken, leek and potato bake
(Pictured above)
Comforting and creamy, this simple and delicious traybake comes with a warning: be very careful not to eat the whole damn thing in one sitting.
Serves 4-6
1kg baby potatoes
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large leek, white part only, trimmed, halved lengthways and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp chicken stock powder mixed with 80ml water
250ml full-cream milk
150ml thickened cream
525g cooked shredded chicken
50g freshly grated parmesan
125g freshly grated tasty cheese, plus extra for topping
Salt flakes and black pepper
Crisp green salad or steamed greens, to serve
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10–12 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, slice into thin rounds and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the creamy chicken filling. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for four to five minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then pour in the chicken stock and cook, stirring, for two or three minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Simmer for three or four minutes, until thickened. Add the chicken and cheeses and stir until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is creamy. Season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Grease a 25cm × 20cm baking dish.
Spread half the chicken filling over the base of the dish, then follow with a layer of potato slices. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining chicken filling and potato slices.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter the extra tasty cheese over the chicken and potato filling. Increase the oven temperature to 220C fan – or turn on the grill – and return the dish to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling. Allow to rest for five minutes before serving.
This is perfect with a salad or steamed greens on the side.
Creamy chicken and bacon pie
With golden puff pastry on top and a rich and savoury filling underneath, this pie comes together easily , and you still get that homely feel.
Serves 4–6
1 frozen shortcrust pastry sheet, thawed (optional, for the base)
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 egg, whisked, for egg wash
Chicken & bacon filling
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 bacon rashers, chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp dijon mustard
250ml chicken stock
200ml thickened cream
350g cooked shredded chicken
155g frozen peas
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or thyme leaves
Salt flakes and black pepper
For the filling, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3–4 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp. Add the leek, garlic, celery and carrot and cook for six to eight minutes, until softened.
Add the butter and flour and stir for one minute to form a paste. Add the mustard, then gradually whisk in the stock and cream until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in the chicken, peas and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper and simmer for three to four minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Grease a 20cm × 30cm baking dish or pie dish.
For a double-crust pie, line the base and sides of the dish with the shortcrust pastry. Spoon in the filling, then top with the puff pastry. Alternatively, for a single-crust pie, spoon the filling straight into the dish, then top with the puff pastry.
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Trim the edges of the pastry and press to seal with a fork. Make a small slit in the centre of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Brush the pastry with the egg wash.
Bake the pie for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is golden, crisp and puffed. Rest for five minutes, then serve.
Chicken pasta bake
I had a marry-me chicken recipe in my last cookbook, and had to include a variation here because I know how much people love it. This is everything you want in a bake – cheesy, rich, oozy and comforting.
Serves 4
300g dried short pasta
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
250ml thickened cream
250ml full-cream milk
180ml chicken stock
Optional
Salt flakes and black pepper
75g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
350g cooked shredded chicken
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
50g freshly grated parmesan
150g freshly grated mozzarella, plus extra for topping
Preheat the oven to 180C fan.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for six minutes (it will continue cooking in the oven). Drain and set aside, reserving the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for three to four minutes, until fragrant and starting to soften. Sprinkle the flour and dried herbs over the top and stir for one minute to make a paste. Gradually whisk in the cream, milk and stock or 180ml reserved pasta water until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, for three or four minutes, until slightly thickened, adding more pasta water to thin if needed. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, spinach, parmesan and mozzarella to the sauce and stir well. Tip in the pasta and toss everything together until well coated.
Sprinkle a little extra mozzarella over the top, then bake for 15–20 minutes. Switch the oven to grill and continue to cook for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly golden.
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This is an edited extract from Wholesome made easy by Sarah Pound, with photography by Mark Roper, available now through Pan Macmillan Australia, $44.99
