What to CookChicken

4 Chicken Dinners You Can Turn into Lunch

by Annie Crabill • March 8, 2016 • 1 Comment

Eating leftovers shouldn't have to be a chore, but meals can be less-than-appealing when you've had the same reheated dish three days running. Enter chicken, the leftover superhero. It's a blank slate that pairs well with any and all flavors and gracefully transitions from main event to salad-topper to sandwich. Through all that, it still manages to taste like, well, chicken.

Here are four chicken dinners that double as tomorrow's lunch:

1. Roast Chicken

Barbara Kafka's Simplest Roast Chicken by Genius Recipes

For lunch: Use your roast chicken on top of salads (the mayonnaise kind and other, leafier, varieties), tacos, and lettuce wraps.

Asian-Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Slaw by Kendra Vaculin

Two-Pea Pesto Chicken Salad by Kendra Vaculin

California Chicken Tacos with Corn and Red Cabbage Slaw by Linda Burkhart

2. Breaded Chicken

Chicken Tenders with Apple Cider Sweet and Sour Sauce by Ashley Rodriguez

For lunch: All the best sandwiches start with breaded chicken. Try it with caponata and pesto, black beans, jalapeños, and avocado, or in a classic Parmesan sub (you can have those meatballs another time!).

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, Caponata, and Pesto Sandwich by sdebrango

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken Tortas by foxeslovelemons

Chicken Meatball Sub with Gobs of Fresh Mozzarella by Erin McDowell

3. Grilled Chicken

Aromatic Grilled Chicken Thighs by Primal Palate

For lunch: Sandwich your grilled chicken between a crusty roll and an out-of-this-world Green Goddess dressing, shred it with cold noodles and crunchy vegetables for spicy salad, and slice it to crown a Caesar salad that won't compare to your corner store's grab-and-go version.

Green Goddess Chicken Sandwiches by foxeslovelemons

Chicken Caesar Salad with Anchovy-Caesar Vinaigrette and Garlic-Parmesan Croutons by chilmarkgal

4. Chicken Kebabs

Shish Taouk with Toum (Chicken Kebabs with Garlic Sauce) by Oui, Chef

For lunch: Stuff a pita with your chicken (we still love you, koftas) and Tzatziki sauce, or pile your bite-sized chicken pieces over a Mediterranean vegetable or grain bowl. Don't forget hummus!