Roast chicken and potatoes in baking tray

Six chicken recipes to make a roast last a week

We'd all be healthier if we ate less meat - and so would the planet. Here's how to make your roast chicken last a whole week, says chef Rachel de Thample.
  Published:  11 Aug 2017    |      2 minute read

Care about the impact of your food on the environment? Eating less, but better quality, meat is a good place to start, as a low or no-meat diet can help protect rainforests and tackle climate change. Find out more easy ways to help stop climate change.

If you do eat meat, opt for quality rather than quantity – ideally organic and local food which tends to be better for us and the planet.

But how can you get the most out of a chicken? To make every bird go further, here are some easy, budget-friendly meal ideas from Rachel de Thample, author of Less Meat, More Veg.

Rachel shows us how a roast can last a whole week. Don't forget, you can freeze the meat if you don't want to get too bored of your bird.

Meal 1: Roast chicken

Start the week with an indulgent roast, and serve with lots of seasonal veggie sides. Carve from the breast. See Rachel's recipe for Effortless Roast Chicken.

Meal 2: Salad

Use the meat from one leg to make a Chicken salad. This crunchy salad is a great option to make your chicken go further.

Meal 3: Chicken soup

Shred the meat from the other leg in a warming Italian Chicken Soup.

Meal 4: Chicken and rice pie

You can get a surprising amount of meat from the wings and carcass. Check the along the backbone and collar. Shredded chicken meat is amazing in pies - adapt a traditional Greek chicken and rice pie recipe to make the most of every last morsel. You can also use this meat in another salad or soup.

Meal 5: Stock

Use the bones and skin as the base for a stock. All you need are some basic vegetables like onions, carrots and celery and a few peppercorns to make a good stock. This will form the base for your soup. Make the stock the day of your roast dinner, or you can refrigerate the bones for up to 2 days before making. Get inspired with this Jamie Oliver stock recipe.

Meal 6: Pasta

The giblet pack contains the liver, which is the silky, smooth burgundy bit. It makes the most delicious pate. Other giblet bits include the neck, heart, kidneys and sometimes the gizzard. Don’t be squeamish, these bits are loaded with essential nutrients (ones we need more of). See Rachel's recipe for Tagliatelle with Creamy White Wine, Giblet and Mushroom sauce.

Read more in Rachel de Thample's 'Less Meat, More Veg. The eco-friendly way to eat, with 150 inspiring recipes'.