You know that Sunday roast chicken that smells like pure happiness when you take it out of the oven? It’s going to do a double shift – well, a triple one actually! One simple chook can easily be transformed into three quick, inexpensive meals. Consider it the secret weapon of your weeknight meal plan! 

Butter Roasted Chicken

Serves 4-6

A simple and delicious roast chicken that can be enjoyed with your favourite side dishes or shredded for three easy recipes. A large 1.8kg chicken will yield about 5-6 cups of shredded chicken – more than enough for all three! 

Ingredients

¼ cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and milled pepper
1.6-1.8kg whole chicken 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. 
2. Combine butter, spices and lemon zest. Season. 
3. Using your fingers, gently separate the chicken skin from the meat.  
4. Rub the spiced butter underneath the skin of the chicken. 
5. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and lemon juice. 
6. Season the outside of the chicken well. 
7. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes at 220°C, then lower the temperature to 180°C and roast for another 40-50 minutes or until cooked through and golden. 
8. Once cooked, remove the skin from the chicken and place between two baking trays. Roast the chicken skin for another 20 minutes or until crisp and all fat has rendered. 
9. Place the crispy chicken skin on a cooling rack and once cooled, store in an airtight container. 
10. Shred the chicken and use creatively in the following three easy recipes. 

Cook’s tip: Serving your chicken whole? Whip up a vibrant mix of melted butter, chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, finely chopped sundried tomatoes and some chopped red chilli if you like some heat. Spoon it over the hot chicken before serving for a burst of flavour and colour. 

The coop’s best kept secrets 

Note 1: To check if your whole roasted chicken is perfectly cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer or knife—if the juices run clear (no pink tinge), it’s ready to serve. 

Note 2: Didn’t use all your shredded chicken? Portion the chicken in cup measurements, pop into freezer-safe bags, and freeze. You’ll have ready-to-go protein for quick soups, salads, or wraps in minutes. 

Note 3: For fuss-free shredding, remove the chicken’s bones and skin, pop the meat into a large bowl, and use a hand mixer on low speed—the mixer will shred it in seconds with minimal effort. 

Pulled Chicken and Jalapeño Sliders

Serves 4-6 as a snack or light meal

Juicy chicken with a jalapeño kick in mini buns bring big flavour, little effort. 

Ingredients

1½ cups shredded chicken
⅔ cup BBQ or Prego sauce
¼ cup pickled jalapeños, chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
Salt and milled pepper
12 brioche slider buns
120g Cheddar cheese, grated 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
2. Combine shredded chicken, BBQ or Prego sauce, jalapeños and red onion. Season. 
3. Halve the buns and pack the bottom buns with the chicken mixture and half of the cheese.  
4. Close the buns with the top lids and scatter the remaining cheese on the buns. 
5. Pop the buns in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. 

Chicken, Bacon and Apricot Pot Pies

Serves 4

Smoky bacon, sweet apricot and shredded chicken under golden pastry — cozy with a twist.  

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
200g bacon bits
80g dried apricots, chopped
Salt and milled pepper
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock
1¾ cup shredded chicken
Flour, for dusting
400g roll puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Handful parsley, chopped
Chicken crisps, chopped, to serve
Salad, to serve 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Heat a pan with butter and a dash of olive oil. 
3. Sauté onion for 4-5 minutes, add garlic and fry another minute. 
4. Add bacon and apricots and fry for another 5-6 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and golden. Season. 
5. For the sauce, pot melt the butter in a pot. Add flour and mix to create a paste. Cook the mixture while stirring regularly for about 3-4 minutes until it turns a straw brown colour. 
6. Add stock and whisk to combine. Allow the sauce to boil for about 1-2 minutes. 
7. Combine bacon mixture, sauce and shredded chicken. 
8. Assemble pies by spraying 4 x 12cm ramekins or oven-proof bowls with non-stick spray. 
9. Divide the chicken filling between the ramekins. 
10. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and unroll the pastry. Cut out 4 circles slightly bigger than your ramekins. Place the pastry onto each ramekin. 
11. Crimp the pastry’s sides with your fingers and cut a cross in the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape, resulting in a crispier pastry. 
12. Brush pastry with egg and pop in the oven to bake for about 35 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. 
13. Garnish the pies with crispy chicken skin and parsley. 
14. Serve the pies with your favourite salad. 

Chicken Satay Lettuce Cups

Serves 4

Nutty satay chicken in crisp lettuce — fresh, fast and full of flavour punch. 

Ingredients

For the satay sauce 

¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1½ Tbsp soy sauce
½ Tbsp fish sauce
⅔ cup coconut cream
½ Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
Zest and juice of 1 lime  

1¾ cups shredded chicken
1 cup coleslaw mix
Salt and milled pepper
8 lettuce cups
Chicken skin crisps, to serve
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Coriander, to serve 

Method 

1. For the satay sauce, heat all ingredients except the lime zest and juice for about 3-4 minutes and stir until well combined. 
2. Turn off heat, add lime zest and juice. Allow to cool. 
3. Combine shredded chicken, satay sauce and coleslaw mix. Season. 
4. To assemble, scoop the satay mixture into the lettuce cups and garnish with chicken skin, chilli flakes and coriander. 

 

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Recipes and styling by: Lichelle May
Photography: Austin Taylor

The post One bird, three fab feasts  appeared first on MyKitchen.

This German-inspired feast is perfect for anyone that wants to impress at a party, saving you time with store-bought dough and patties. Of course, the cheese sauce on its own will elevate any regular burger night too! 

Beerfondue sliders on pretzel buns

Makes 12 

Ingredients

For the pretzel buns  

600g store-bought bread dough
8 cups water
¼ cup Tbsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tsp salt flakes  

For the beer cheese sauce  

3 Tbsp butter 
3 Tbsp flour 
1 cup milk
½ cup pale ale beer
Salt and milled pepper
180g Cheddar, grated
125g mature Cheddar, grated 
12 meatballs (or shape regular size store-bought patties smaller) 
Oil, for pan-frying 
¼ cup hot
English mustard
2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. For the pretzel buns, lightly knock down dough and divide into 12 pieces.
3. Roll into 5cm balls, flattening slightly to create a bun shape.
4. Set aside to rise for 10 minutes until puffy. 
5. Combine water and bicarb in a large pot and bring to the boil. 
6. Add 3-4 balls of dough to boiling water, poaching for 2 minutes a side before flipping over. 
7. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain thoroughly and place on a lined baking tray.
8. Repeat with the remaining dough. 
9. Sprinkle buns with salt and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and light for its size, with a dark brown colour. Set aside to cool. 
10. Shape meatballs into flat patties, slightly larger than the size of your buns as they will shrink while cooking.
11. Fry patties to your liking and set aside. 
12. For the sauce, heat butter in a pot until bubbling. 
13. Stir in flour and cook until paste is bubbling, about a minute. 
14. Gradually add milk while whisking. Then add beer while continuously whisking. Season and cook for 3 minutes. 
15. Add cheese and stir until melted. 
16. Slice buns open, spread with mustard and top with leaves, pickled cucumber slices, patties and half a cheese slice.
17. Add burger patties and top with a generous coating of beer-cheese sauce while hot.

By: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine

The post Beerfondue sliders on pretzel buns  appeared first on MyKitchen.

We put a little twist on the classic boerewors roll, and came up with sherry boerewors sliders. You must try it for lunch on Sunday!

SERVES 30 // COOK TIME 30 min // HANDS-OFF  ±1 20 mins

INGREDIENTS
1.2 kg boerewors
500 ml sherry
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 baguette

METHOD
1. Cut boerewors into 6 cm pieces. Place in a bowl and pour sherry over. Cover and place in fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Remove the boerewors from the sherry and place on skewers. Set sherry aside.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a fireproof pan or potjie. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
4. Add sherry and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring, until reduced by half.
5. Put the boerewors skewers in a hinged grid and braai over hot coals for 8 minutes, until cooked through. Make sure each side sees the heat at least twice.
6. Slice the baguette and arrange it on a platter. Drizzle a bit of  sherry sauce over each slice.
7. Remove the boerewors from the skewers and top each slice of baguette with a piece.

This tender roast lamb with garlic, tomato sauce and comforting veggies is the perfect meal to make if you are having friends over this weekend!

The post Sherry boerewors sliders appeared first on MyKitchen.

Snacks for the little ones, dinner party appetisers, padkos for the road… The options are endless for these yummy meatball sliders!

MAKES 12 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 kg ready-made bread dough
2 eggs, 1 whisked
Olive oil, to fry
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves , peeled and crushed
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and black pepper
500 g mince
⅓  cup flour
2 tbsp flaxseed
4 Peppadews + to garnish
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salad greens, to serve

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Roll the dough into 12 balls. Arrange on the baking tray and leave to proof for 20 minutes.
3. Brush each bun with whisked egg. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely.
4. Heat a little oil and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, herbs and sugar. Season. Gently heat the mixture through.
5. In a bowl, combine the onion mixture with the mince, flour flaxseed and remaining egg. Chill in the fridge for 5 minutes.
6. Roll the mixture into 12 balls. Heat some oil and fry meatballs for about 3 minutes a side, until golden brown.
7. Mix the chopped Peppadews with the mayonnaise.
8. To assemble the meatball sliders, place a meatball in each bun. Add Peppadew mayo and salad greens. Use a skewer to hold it together. Garnish with extra Peppadews.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Have some leftover meatballs? Enjoy them with pitas and salted yoghurt in this great lunch recipe.

The post Meatball sliders with mayo and peppadew appeared first on MyKitchen.

Swap out the burgers for these falafel sliders with mango atchar-tahini sauce for fun and tasty appetisers for all your guests to enjoy.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the mango atchar-tahini sauce
1 cup mayo
¼ cup mango atchar
1 tbsp tahini
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the falafel sliders
2 × 400 g tin chickpeas, drained
½ cup flour
¼ cup chopped coriander
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Salt and black pepper
Vegetable oil, to fry
8 mini pitas

METHOD
For the mango atchar-tahini sauce
1. Place all the ingredients together in a food processor and blend until smooth.
For the falafel sliders
1. Place all ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together, but still has a grainy texture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Roll the mixture into balls and then flatten into patties the size of the pitas.
3. Heat oil in a pan and shallowfry patties in batches until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel.
4. Warm the pitas in the oven for 5 minutes.
5. Fill pitas with mango atchar-tahini sauce, a falafel patty, red-onion pickle, and mint or coriander.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Love falafel? This baked falafel with red pepper hummus and roast chickpeas is a must!

The post Falafel sliders with mango atchar-tahini sauce appeared first on MyKitchen.

You’d be surprised at the amazing things you can create with a tin of tuna. These mini tuna sliders are one of our favourite work lunch options.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
170 g tin tuna
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 egg
6 mini hamburger rolls
3 tbsp spicy mayonnaise

METHOD
1. Mix the tuna with the breadcrumbs and the egg. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 6 small patties.
2. Heat oil and fry until golden.
3. Top each roll with a patty and add a dollop of spicy mayo.

The post Mini tuna sliders  appeared first on MyKitchen.