NO LEFTOVER LEFT BEHIND
We love to create easy, yummy recipes to repurpose leftovers in our family. Not only does this process save time in a busy day, but utilizing leftovers often ensures very little food is wasted. Whenever I make Jasper’s favorite Chicken Piccata for dinner, I always sear a few extra chicken cutlets in order to repurpose them for lunch the next day. Here are two ways in which we love using leftover Chicken Piccata … almost more than the dish itself!
JASPER’S FAVORITE LEFTOVER CHICKEN PICCATA SANDWICH
The first leftover creation I ever assembled for Jasper! Her love of this lunchtime delight ultimately became an all-time favorite bite. The richness of the aioli brings excellent balance to the chicken’s bright citrus sauce. Add romaine lettuce and bread and butter pickles for freshness and crunch. This is YUM on a plate.
AIOLI INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1/2 Tbsp chopped capers
1/8 Teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce, (if spice is not your taste, you can skip this step).
ASSEMBLE THE PICCATA SANDWICH
Whisk together aioli ingredients, set aside.
Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to a pan on medium / high heat.
Once the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add last night’s Chicken Piccata (If you are not making this as a leftover but are starting from scratch, please refer to our Chicken Piccata recipe here).
Warm each side a minute or two, just so that the chicken is reheated and warmed to your liking.
Move the now warmed chicken from the pan to a plate.
In the same pan you just reheated the chicken, place sliced sandwich bread face side down (I like to lightly toast my sandwich in the same pan because it soaks up that lovely chicken flavor with the butter. I you find there is not enough butter, add 1/2 tbsp more to the pan before adding the bread).
Check the doneness of your bread. Once the toast level is golden, remove from the pan to a plate.
Add a smear of the aioli to each side of your bread. (The amount is to your liking. Think of this as a mayo or mustard application to your sandwich).
Add warmed piccata chicken, lettuce of your choice (I like romaine here) and bread and butter pickles to your sandwich.
Devour that thing like there’s no tomorrow. It’s that good!
KATE’S CHICKEN PICCATA CEASAR SALAD
I grew up loving Caesar salads (and still do!) One day, I decided to combine two favorite tastes and ended up creating, “Kate’s Chicken Piccata Ceasar Salad.” This salad is bright and salty and lemony and crunchy … Next level Caesar Salad.
PICCATA CEASAR DRESSING INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons mayo
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2/3 cup extra light virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 heaping tablespoon capers
Add mayo, mustard, garlic cloves, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in the bowl of an electric food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process these ingredients together until smooth and well blended. While the food processor is still on, very slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until thick and creamy. Add parmesan cheese and capers, pulse 4-5 times to combine.
ASSEMBLE THE PICCATA CEASAR SALAD
Make dressing and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt in a large bowl. Add hand-torn 1 inch bread cubes (with crust still in tact) and toss to coat. Transfer croutons to baking sheet. Bake croutons until golden brown. (About 15 minutes). When croutons are golden and crunchy, remove from oven and let cool.
Place lettuce (I like to use gem lettuce here) and croutons in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
Slice leftover chicken piccata cutlets. If you like your protein warm on salads, reheat the chicken in a pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp butter for one minute each side before slicing. (If you are starting the piccata process from scratch, please refer to our chicken piccata recipe here).
Place chicken over salad. Garnish with flat leaf parsley and large grated strips of good parmesan cheese.
