What to do with canned chicken?

[KatyTheChickenLady]

they are really easy just a bit labor intensive. if you want my directions just let me know.

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
Thanks, but I got a recipe off allrecipes...(my favorite site)... and I make enchiladas a lot so I think I've got it covered...but I really appreciate your help!!!!

 

[Carolyn]

I love using canned chicken. I buy chicken on special (usually 99cents/lb) and skin and debone and can it then make a great broth out of the bones and skin.
It is wonderful for: chicken enchiladas, chick spaghetti (spaghetti cooked in broth, add chicken, roasted red peppers or pimento, celery and cheese ...very creamy with velveta), chicken and rice, salad (I sometimes use grapes instead of raisins and pecans in a recipe similar to the one posted, white chili, dips, soup, pot pie and all kinds of casseroles. It really cuts cooking and prep time.

My I am too tired or rushed to fix anything else casserole:

melt 1-2 Tbsp butter in skillet or a dish you can use on top of stove and in oven.
Add chopped crushed garlic, chopped onion and green chilies(I chop them up and freeze them for later use).
Cook a few minutes until tender, add 1-2 Tbs flour and stir until flour dissolved. Add chicken broth and milk (can use dry or evaporated), cheese, chicken. Cook on low heat until cheese is partially melted. At this point you can add a can of chopped tomatos and/ or a can of chilli beans and blend with mixture. Season as desired...I use pepper , chili powder, cumin and salt if I think it is needed. Cut tortillas up into small pieces (either kind is okay to use) Add to mixture. Bake at 375 until bubbling and starting to brown slightly at edges. I stir it once during the baking process.

While it is cooking shred some lettuce, add chopped tomatos and onions if desired. Serve as a side or you may put the lettuce mixture on top before serving.

 

[Ema]

I have used those before to spruce up a baked white cheese and broccoli, mushroom Penne Casserole. it was delicious.

 

[ozark hen]

I love having those tuna sized cans of chicken in the pantry. I use white meat and keep them on hand for quick chicken salad. Can chicken, a dollop of mayo, one stalk of celery diced up, some pecans broken up and a healthy squirt of honey and they make the best sandwiches in a hurry. We try them with craisins in them or whatever is on hand, and the above recipe with diced apples is superb!

 

[Kim_NC]

We always have homecanned chicken on the shelf. Lots of good ideas already given here.

I like to make this quick and simple soup with canned chicken...

1 pt jar chicken (about the same as 3 small commercial cans)
1 pt jar chicken broth
1 cup cooked rice (my fav way to use leftover brown rice or wild rice blend )
Double handful of Kale Greens, chopped - or any green you have on hand

Heat everything together. Cook at a slow boil until greens are just tender - about 10 minutes.

We also use canned chicken in: meat pies, fajitas and enchiladas, Chicken a La King, cream of chicken soup, as a topping on white pizza, sandwiches

 

[BettyR]

We had a really cold, rainy, blustery day yesterday and I wanted something to warm our bones last night....

So I made a dark roux, dumped in some chopped onions, peppers and garlic stirring until the veggies were limp...

Dumped in 8 cups of water, 4 chicken and 4 beef bullion cubes and brought that to a boil...

Chopped up 4 links of my homemade smoked sausage and put that in, brought it back to a boil and let it boil for about 30 minutes...

Dumped in 2 cans of the chicken and served it over rice.

I hit a home run.....and by the way..... I really liked the canned chicken, I will purchase it in the future.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

or . . . . can your own!

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
I agree. There is nothing better than having your own canned chicken on the pantry shelf. We also can beef, venison, and all types of stock. So convenient and great flavor in all of them!

 

[Carolyn]

If you raise your own chickens or can get it on special and are willing to put in a half of day of work you can can your own skinless, boneless chicken and make a fabulous chicken broth to can using the bones, skins and some veggies and herbs. Far better than what you get at the grocery store and you control salt, can make it MSG free, etc. Besides the delcious taste you save a trendous amount of money and it is a wonderful time saver when you are in ready to cook.

Another great time saver is to chop and freeze onions, all kinds of peppers (I like to use a lot of sweet peppers and green chiles, I dry my red hot peppers), pesto etc while they are in season or when you have surplus.

Here is how I make chicken broth. You can can it, freeze it or pour it hot into jars, seal and refrigerate it several weeks.

Use any left over chicken bones, skins, scraps of meat......You can use bones from cooked chicken but including some uncooked chicken improves the flavor. Legs and thighs bones add to the richness. Of course you can just use fresh chicken and save the meat.


Place in a large stock pot and cover with water. Add a small amout of salt if desired but the flavor concentrates as you cook it so use salt sparingly. Now add vegetables. This is a great way to use that last bit of the celery stalk, the outer part of onion including the brown paper thin part, pasted it's prime carrot. Use celery, carrots, onion. Add several garlic cloves, just separate into cloves, crush them and drop in, not required you peel them. (if you are planning to use the veggies to make soup you may want to peel them first). I add some fresh or powdered ginger. I add rosemary, thyme and a dash of hot pepper. Part of what I add is for taste and part is to soup up the antioxidates.

Bring to a gentle boil and then turn to very low heat and simmer lid off for at least 2-3 hours to get the flavor to peak and concentrate it. You may need to skim some of the foam off the top when you first bring it to a boil.

After this cool slightly and then poor thru a collander to strain out solids. Return the broth to pan, cool, then refrigerate overnight to bring fat to the surface. You pick thru the solids to get the meat, veggies if you want to use it. Next day skim off the fat. You can heat it to a liquid then re strain perhaps using a cheese cloth if you want it perfectly clear. There is nothing in it that will do anything but make your soup taste better but it will have some settlement if you skip this step. Personally I never restrain it.

Bring to a boil, pour into prepared canning jars, attach lids and can according to your pressure cooker timetable. You can skip the boil and freeze it. Do not overfill jars or bags. Or you can skip the canning step, just seal and refrigerate when cool.