• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • General Discussion Forums
  • Food and Drink
Ways to make a chicken breast go further...
cake lover
02-04-2012
Hi, I'm on a bit (well a lot) of a budget at the mo. I bought 2 chicken breasts in the supermarket today reduced to half price because they were going out of date. I've wrapped them individually and put in the freezer.

They are really quite large and I'd like to get max value out of them. I could make one into a pie with leek and mushrooms with a mash topping... Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm guessing that a casserole would be no good coz it would go tough, can I do a risotto perhaps??

Thanks
degsyhufc
02-04-2012
Loads of options for chicken.
Stir fries
Chicken & rice - Could be Chinese, Indian, African, Spanish, Italian, South American etc. They all have a version of it. Bulk it out with plenty of veg.

Mince it for stir fries or burgers. Again, bulk out with veg & breadcrumbs.

Kebabs / wraps. Usually though you would want the spiced chicken to be the star.

No reason you can't use it in a soup or stew. Just add it late in the cooking so that it doesn't over cook.
queenshaks
02-04-2012
I made chicken lasagne this week, that lasted for 2 days.

Chop up chicken breasts into tiny cubes, add plenty of vegetables, half a tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, herbs and seasoning. Then obvious, lasagne sheets and white/cheese sauce.
HazzaGrazza
02-04-2012
You could make 1 chicken breast in to 2 burgers. Lay some clingfilm over the breast and hit with a rolling pin until thin and big enough for 2 large burgers. (this is how I do it anyway) haha you can then coat with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven or shallow fry. Have it with salad or home made wedges.

Using the above method, you could also make the 2 large escalops and marinate in lemon and herbs, cook on a griddle pan until charred and serve with humus, toasted pitta, olives.

The other breast you could use in kebabs. Cut in to chunks and skewer with courgette, mushroom, red pepper, red onion etc I made this in the week and had it with a mexican bean and avocado salad. Very good for you as lots of veggies too.

Another good one is a curry, Cut a chicken breast in to small chunks and then add a load of veg to bulk it out. Stew would work the same way.

This is obviously assuming you are cooking for two people.
cake lover
02-04-2012
thanks for suggestions and no I'm just cooking for myself so it would have to be something that I could stretch over 2 or more nights
HazzaGrazza
02-04-2012
If you are just cooking for yourself, you could make 4 meals then. 1/2 a chicken breast for each. Thats if you wanted something different each night of course. The other alternative is make a big batch of something, say curry using all the chicken and eating it over a few nights. That would be the cheaper option for definite but also the boring option.
degsyhufc
02-04-2012
I made jumbalaya the other night with one medium sized chicken breast and got two portions of it.

1 chicken breast
1 smoked sausage (or 1/3 of Mathesons type)
1/2 onion, 2 celery stalks and 1/3 green pepper - finely diced.
1 garlic chopped clove
seasoning or marinade paste. I used a couple of teaspoons of jerk marinade.
1/3 tin of mixed beans (optional)
1/3 cup rice
1 cup (+ more if needed) stock or water
1 chilli
parsley coriander

Cube chicken breast and fry off. Set aside.
Cube sausage and fry off. Set aside.
Add oil to a sauce pan and sweat the veg.
Add the paste and fry for a minute.
Add the rice and fry for a minute.
Add the stock. Cover and bring to a boil then turn down to low.
After 12-15 mins the rice should be almost cooked. Add the chicken and sausage. Add more liquid if needed.

Garnish with herbs and chilli.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
neo_wales
02-04-2012
Stuff, roll, tie and roast is an option.
Echo Zulu
03-04-2012
I cut into very small pieces, marinade in harissa or other moroccan spices and then gently fry it with finely diced peppers, courgette, onion, carrot, butternut squash or any other vegetable commonly used in north african cuisine. Once cooked, I mix it into prepared cous cous with coriander and chopped dried apricots.

That's nice by itself, but I would usually serve it over a green salad with olive oil and balsamic.

What about a homemade pizza with chicken on it? If you made a large one, or indeed two small ones, a chicken breast would easily spread over two meals.

The trick to making it go further is to not make it the main part of the meal. As Degsy said, there are loads of ways of preparing it in a rice dish with other vegetables. It may result in overloading on carbs, but if you go with rice, cous cous potatoes or similar with flavoured chicken and veg mixed in, you will get the most from one chicken breast.

If you're worried about carb intake as well, try making the rice dishes using half rice, half lentils (works especially well with indian spiced food).
earthling13
03-04-2012
Beans and pulses are your friend to bulk out many meat dishes. They're good for you as well!
idiot_box
03-04-2012
Originally Posted by earthling13:
“Beans and pulses are your friend to bulk out many meat dishes. They're good for you as well!”

Snap Earthling, just what I was about to add You can add them to any "wet" meat dish (curry, casseroles, bolognaise, even cottage pie filling, and they will "stretch" the meat out over more meals. You get the taste of the meat, but by eating less animal protein and more vegetable based protein it is better for you too.
gemma-the-husky
03-04-2012
don't eat them. leave them on the little chckens.
degsyhufc
03-04-2012
Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky:
“don't eat them. leave them on the little chckens.”

They are already off the, pretty well sized (by the sound of it), chicken.
cake lover
05-04-2012
I'm making chicken jambalaya right now for me and a friend (with chorizo)

Thanks Des for the suggestion x
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map