Take Your Lunch to Work: Roasted Chicken

Published on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, by The CHOW Editorial Team / Edit Post

Buying a whole chicken is way cheaper than buying pieces. And one roasted chicken cooked over the weekend can be stretched—not literally—across a whole week of lunches, as a component in easy salads, soups, and sandwiches. (If you want to stretch literally, buy a rubber chicken.)

  • Sunday Night Prep

    what you’ll need: a whole chicken, onion, carrots, celery, olive oil, salt and pepper, cilantro, lemon (optional), new potatoes

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: Roast a chicken (about six pounds) using this easy method. (Put some new potatoes in the bottom of the pan, and they’ll cook in the pan juices.) When the bird is ready, let it cool slightly; pull most of the meat off the bones, except for a drumstick and thigh to eat for your Monday lunch, and keep it covered in the refrigerator.

  • Monday Lunch: Roasted Chicken and Salad

    what you’ll need: spinach, dried fruit or nuts, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: On Sunday night, pack up your drumstick and thigh and some of the new potatoes and pair it all with a small spinach salad tossed with dried fruit or nuts. In a small jar, combine a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil with salt and pepper. Keep the dressing separate, and dress your salad at work when you’re ready to eat.

  • Tuesday Lunch: Loaded Chicken Sandwich with Fruit

    what you’ll need: bread, your favorite condiment, anything else you want on your sandwich, a piece of fruit

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: On Tuesday morning, toast a couple of pieces of your favorite bread, slather on your favorite condiment (try CHOW’s mustard, mayo, or shallot jam), top with one-quarter of the remaining chicken, pile on a few veggies (scallions, bell pepper, avocado, or roasted beets are good options), and top with a few slices of your favorite cheese.

  • Wednesday Lunch: Quick Chinese Chicken Salad

    what you’ll need: napa or savoy cabbage, some crunchy veggies, scallions, cilantro, rice vinegar, oil, honey, roasted nuts or crackers to snack on

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: On Wednesday morning, thinly slice a few handfuls of napa or savoy cabbage; add a few handfuls of crunchy vegetables (thinly sliced bell pepper, celery, and/or carrots), some sliced scallion, and some chopped cilantro; and toss it together. Shred one-third of the remaining chicken; add a spoonful of rice vinegar, a spoonful of oil (peanut, canola, or sesame works great), and a squeeze of honey; and toss it all together with the veggies. By the time you get to work everything will be marinated and ready to go. Eat with a bag of sesame sticks, wonton chips, wasabi peas, roasted almonds, or rice crackers.

  • Thursday Lunch: Simple Chicken Soup and Salad

    what you’ll need: onion, carrots, celery, oil, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, a starch, salt and pepper, lemon, scallions, cilantro, spinach, leftover veggies

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: On Wednesday night, sauté some finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery in oil until soft. Add a quart of broth and bring to a simmer. Shred and stir in one-half of the remaining chicken and add a starch of your choice (chopped potatoes, couscous, noodles, or cooked rice). Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper, and finish with some lemon zest, a few squeezes of lemon juice, sliced scallions, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Reheat at work and eat with a side salad of spinach and any other veggies you have left over from the week.

  • Friday Lunch: Barbecued Chicken Sandwich and Chips

    what you’ll need: barbecue sauce, cabbage, celery, carrots, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lemon juice or vinegar, crusty bread, cheese, potato chips

    WHAT YOU’LL DO: On Thursday night, shred the remaining chicken and mix in good-quality store-bought barbecue sauce. Chop up some of your leftover cabbage, celery, carrot, bell pepper, scallion, and cilantro, and toss it with a few dashes of lemon juice or vinegar (red wine or cider). Load it all on some crusty bread with a few slices of cheese, and carry along a bag of your favorite potato chips to round it out.

ALLFeature
POST A COMMENT |15 Comments

COMMENT

  • Question: where does one find these cheaper, whole chickens? My grocery store sells the little birds for $10-$20. There really isn't much more meat on the tiny things than the $6-8 package of two large chicken breasts.

  • i wish someone would make a post like this once a week.

  • I think that people who misuse the word 'literally' are stupid(not like 'CHOW')

  • I NEED MORE OF THESE! this is exactly why I got on here in the first place. I'm sitting here, starving, because it seemed to difficult to get creative last night! grrrr

  • Please Chow, more of these posts!!!

    Mr. bakinggirl can subsist on a turkey sandwich every day, but I need variety...and reasons to use my Ms. Bento!

  • Quoting Xanthus179:
    "This is pretty cool. I am certainly more interested in this one than the beans and tofu entries."

    AMEN! Here-here! I couldn't agree more!

    Try to do a seafood themed one, Chow!

  • I like this kind of stuff. I want to see Chow do more of it.

    I live in the deep south.....and I am trying to eat more healthy. Taking my lunch gives me flavor, saves me money and is healthier. Just one problem: The barbecure sauce and cheese sandwish with the chicken is gross. Come on Chow ------ you can do better than that.

  • This is pretty cool. I am certainly more interested in this one than the beans and tofu entries.

  • The chicken won't taste old after 2 days.
    Package it properly in a tightly sealed container.

  • But won't the chicken taste "old" after a couple of days?

  • And don't forget to use the bones to make broth!

  • I LOVE these five day lunch recipies. I'm a good cook, but as a single man I don't want to pack lunch every day or buy lunch every day. I would probiably have Friday's lunch for super on Thursday so I can treat myself on Friday.

  • Great idea, thanks. Would love to see more like this!

  • One cookbook written for college students has a recipe for finals week roast rhinoceros - a turkey cooked at the start of the week, with enough leftovers to last a week.

  • These stories are exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for! I'm a student and I can't afford to buy lunch out everyday, but I'm no good at coming up with interesting pack-ups. This is BRILLIANT!