8 ways with cooked chicken

A hot chicken and some bread rolls is a quintessential Kiwi meal – perfect for the beach, bach or a busy night.

But what do you do with the last little bit of chicken on the carcass once the meal is finished? It can be tempting to just bag it up and bin it – but what a waste of money and meat.

Kiwis send 3,403 tonnes of chicken to landfills each year – and that doesn’t include chicken bones! That’s more than $40 million worth of meat that we’re just throwing away.

A small amount of chicken can go a long way, especially if you use it in one of the recipes below.

The next time you have a cooked chicken, make sure to strip it of all of its meat in order to get more than one delicious meal out of it. If you’re not going to eat the chicken in the next day or so, you can freeze it to use at a later date.

Don’t forget you can use the bones to make your own chicken stock.

Chicken and Asparagus Quiche

Celebrate spring with this chicken and asparagus quiche. You can used tinned asparagus if it is not in-season.

Chicken Banh Mi

This Vietnamese-inspired sandwich is no ordinary filled roll. Pickled carrots and fresh coriander will transport you to the streets of Saigon.

Thai Chicken Rice Paper Cups

A new take on spring rolls, these Thai chicken rice paper cups are easy to make, impressive to look at and delicious to eat.

Chicken and Prawn Jambalaya

Give your taste buds a Cajun experience with this chicken and prawn jambalaya.

Mexican Chicken Rolls

These Heart Foundation approved Mexican chicken rolls can be whipped up in no time.

Chicken Lasagna for One

Eating alone doesn’t mean you can’t eat lasagna. Using cooked chicken is a great way to speed up the cooking process.

Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps

For a no-cook option, try these teriyaki lettuce wraps.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything more comforting then a steaming bowl of chicken soup? Bonus points for using the chicken carcass as well.