When Sainsbury’s asked me to create a recipe that uses leftovers, I immediately thought of this casserole. It’s a family favourite — Derm, Tara and I love it. The kids, M & V, pretend they don’t, but they always circle the edge of their plates with their spoons, which I take as a compliment.
The flexible thing about this recipe is that the quantities adjust to whatever cooked meat and vegetables you have on hand. Most vegetables can be tossed in: in the photos I used two red peppers and a handful of green beans that were getting a little soft. Carrots, leeks, cabbage or even a tin of butter beans would work just as well.
You can make this with either leftover turkey or chicken. I used four chicken breasts for a family of five, which was more than enough. Right now I’m adjusting how I shop with three children and two adults: pack sizes either feel too big or too small, so adapting recipes to leftovers helps reduce food waste and keeps the budget sensible.
Even little touches help stretch ingredients further — I used some thyme that I bought fresh cheaply after Christmas and dried on the windowsill. It still added a lovely flavour without costing much.
For speed, roast or use already-cooked chicken or turkey from a Sunday roast. Using cooked meat shortens preparation time and guarantees the meat is fully cooked, which is handy when hungry children are refusing to wait for their dinners.
I make herby dumplings following the instructions on the Atora packet. You can prepare the dumplings ahead of time and simply place them on the casserole when it’s ready to cook:
- Mix all the dry dumpling ingredients together and add dried herbs to taste. Add cold water slowly until a soft, slightly wet dough forms.
- Flour your hands and roll the dough into around eight dumplings (you can make them smaller if serving small children).
- Place the dumplings on top of the casserole and cover them with the broth.
- Cover the casserole and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through.
Chicken Leftovers Casserole with Herby Dumplings
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- Splash of vegetable oil
- One small onion or a leek or celery stalk
- The equivalent of 3–4 chicken breasts or thighs (cooked)
- 1.5 pints stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 red peppers (frozen mixed peppers are fine)
- Handful of green vegetables green beans, peas or mixed veg; a small tin of broad or butter beans also works
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp double cream optional
- Herby dumplings made following the Atora packet instructions
- 100 g self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
- 50 g Atora suet (vegetable suet used here)
- Pinch of salt
- Cold water about 6 tbsp for the dumpling mix
Instructions
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Heat a splash of oil in a large pan and soften the chopped onion (or leek/celery) until translucent.
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Add the cooked chicken or turkey and the stock, then bring to the boil.
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Stir in the dried herbs and the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes so the flavours combine.
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Top the casserole with the herby dumplings, cover with the broth, put the lid on and cook for approximately 25–30 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.
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Near the end, mix the plain flour with a little water to form a smooth paste and stir it into the casserole to thicken the sauce, preventing lumps.
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If using double cream, stir it in now for extra richness.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
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We also love dunking granary or crusty bread into the sauce — highly recommended.
Notes