I cooked a roast chicken at the weekend. We love roast chicken in this house. You can't beat it. With a roast chicken you always get at least three meals from it. One on the day, one with the leftovers and another with the bones when you make a delicious soup. With Roast Chicken, its always a winner/winner chicken dinner!
I have tried all sorts of recipes for roast chicken, all good . . . but this one here is my absolute favourite. way of doing it. You always end up with a tender, well flavoured, moist chicken, with crisp skin. Its so delicious!
After we have had our chicken dinner, I always like to strip the meat off the bones. I may be odd, but I don't like the flavour of chicken that has been chilled on the bone. I prefer it off the bone once it has been cooked and cooled. So just strip it off and chill it in the refrigerator, ready to use for casseroles or sandwiches, fried rice, etc.
Don't ever get rid of the bones! That's a big no/no. I usually leave a few scraps of meat on the bones, and then you can either use them right away to make a tasty chicken stock, or freeze them in an airtight container to make a stock or soup on another day when you have more time. A roast chicken just makes for great economy!
So, today I used the leftover meat to make us a delicious Scalloped Chicken, and not just a Scalloped Chicken, but a Scalloped Chicken Supreme! How can you not love it! This recipe was adapted from one I found in Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, so its a really old recipe. It is in the Supper Dishes Chapter.
I have updated it for my own use by using low fat evaporated milk, which cuts down on fat and calories, and I also used my tip I shared the other day about blitzing the flour and chicken stock in a blender, along with the seasonings, pouring into a saucepan and then adding the cream, before thickening, which cuts even further down on the fat and calories, but I have given you the full fat version recipe here. If you want any help in cutting back on it, just let me know.
I also used cooked brown rice, which adds favour and makes it lower GI. Every little helps.
With its delicious sauce, tender chicken and layers of sauteed mushrooms and toasted almonds, this went down a real treat. Oh yes, I also used whole wheat bread crumbs on top, which I spritzed with low fat cooking spray instead of butter.
*Scalloped Chicken Supreme*
Serves 86 TBS butter
6 TBS plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
480ml chicken stock (2 cups)
You will also need:
325g of cooked rice (2 cups)
325g of cooked rice (2 cups)
240ml chicken Stock.
375g of cooked chicken, torn up or cut into cubes (3 cups)85g flaked toasted almonds (1/2 cuup)
75g of sliced mushrooms, sauteed (1 cup)
2 TBS finely chopped red pepper
a handful of buttered bread crumbs
Pour the second amount of chicken stock over the cooked rice, and stir. Set aside until you need it.
First make the gravy. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for several minutes. Whisk in all og the seasonings/herbs. Slowly whisk in the stock and then the cream. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Set aside and keep warm.Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 12 by 7 inch deep baking dish. Begin layering in as follows: Half the rice, half the chicken, half the sauce, half the mushrooms, half the peppers and half the toasted almonds. Repeat. Top with the buttered bread crumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot with your favourite vegetables on the side.
I was able to very successfully cut the recip in half as there are only the two of us, and we now have leftovers of this tasty casserole to eat tomorrow. So, really from this chicken I will have gotten 4 meals, and I still have some roast chicken in the refrigerator to do a fried rice or some such. You really can't go wrong with a roast chicken, you really can't! Bon Appetit!
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