Emily's Hot Dish

Oh my goodness do I love meatloaf sandwiches. It’s two comfort foods combined into one hybrid ULTIMATE comfort food. It’s MEATLOAF in a SANDWICH.

If that weren’t enough, we’re topping it with wine-glazed caramelized onions. The flavor, my friends, will bring you to your knees and make you weep.

This is great food for a picnic – it doesn’t require much prep, provided you had meatloaf for dinner last night, you can eat it without utensils, and it’s good at room temperature. 

Sometimes I will make a recipe that calls for lemon zest but not lemon juice, like the incredible roasted chicken from last week. When this is the case, instead of chucking the "naked" lemons in the fridge where they will inevitably be forgotten and go bad, i juice them right after I'm done zesting them. I portion the juice into an ice-cube tray putting 1 tablespoon of juice in each cube, then freeze. When I need lemon juice for baking, salad dressing, or cooking I don't even need to measure - I just pop out as many cubes as I need. This juice tastes MUCH better than bottled juice and I don't always have to keep fresh lemons on hand. 

The addition of curry powder to the chicken salad really punches up the flavor in an unusual but delicious way. The grapes add a sweet pop while the nuts are crunchy and savory. I really like using yogurt along with just a little bit of mayonnaise – there’s enough mayonnaise that it makes the sauce smooth and consistent, but because it’s mostly yogurt it doesn’t pack quite the fatty, caloric punch that chicken salad usually does. 

You will need:
  •1 pound leftover roasted chicken or 2 chicken breasts
  •½ cup greek-style yogurt
  •2 T mayonnaise
  •2 t curry powder
  •¼ cup sliced almonds
  •¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  •1 cup grapes
  •¼ cup cilantro (optional) 

If you don’t have leftover chicken, you can poach 2 chicken breasts instead. Bring 2 cups of water or chicken broth to a boil and add the breasts. Let simmer for 8 minutes then cover and move off the heat for 20 minutes or until the breasts have cooked through. Cool completely.

Cut or shred the chicken into ½ inch pieces. 

Slice the grapes in half. If using, mince the cilantro. 

In a large bowl mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder. 

In the same bowl, add the chicken, nuts, grapes, and cilantro. Mix until everything is evenly coated. Serve by itself, in a sandwich, or over dressed greens. 

This is an easy use for leftover roasted chicken. There’s almost no cooking involved and it comes together really quickly. If you’ve never tried making your own salad dressing before, do it a few times and you’ll be hooked. I can’t remember the last time I bought a pre-made bottle at the store. 

The key to making a good salad is using a variety of flavors and textures. Here the chicken is toothsome and savory, the nuts are crunchy, the tomatoes pop and are tart-sweet, and the creamy cheese has a lovely herb top note. This is complemented by the thyme in the salad dressing, which uses lemon juice instead of vinegar for a more subtle acidic component. 

You will need:
  •Salad greens (not pictured)
  •Grape tomatoes
  •Leftover roasted chicken
  •Walnuts
  •Herbed sheep cheese

For the dressing:
  •3 T olive oil
  •2 T lemon juice
  •1 t Dijon mustard
  •1 t fresh thyme leaves

Add the walnuts to a small skillet and toast over medium heat. It is important not to leave the kitchen while toasting the walnuts because they will know that you’ve left and burn to spite you. They are done when they smell really delicious and toasty.

While the walnuts are toasting, use your hands to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cut the grape tomatoes in half. Cut the cheese into small pieces. When the walnuts are toasted, chop them into small pieces. 

Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined. Place the salad greens into a large bowl and pour the dressing over. Toss to coat.

Add the tomatoes, chicken, nuts, and cheese. Toss once more to mix, then portion into two bowls and enjoy.