One Chicken=Two Dinners

Here is a huge time saver for making dinners...buy a whole chicken, boil it, and see your endless possibilities. 
This particular day, I boiled a whole chicken during my kids nap time.  I let it cool and then picked it. (you can seperate the white meat from the dark meat if you want for particular dinner dishes you want to make). 
I have chosen to make Chicken Enchiladas and Easy Chicken Pasta Bake.  Both are favorites of mine and super yummy.  They can both be eaten the same night that you make them or frozen and eaten on another day.  This is not quite like Rachel Ray's A week in a day, but its at least One Chicken=Two Dinners.

Here is recipe #1:
Chicken Enchiladas

(before it was baked, of course)

This is a super easy and quick chicken enchilada recipe I use all the time. It's great for eating the night you prepare it or freezing it and saving it for another night.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups pulled boiled chicken (from one chicken=two meals post)
2 Cups cheddar or Mexican style cheese (as much as you desire)
2 10 oz. cans enchilada sauce (desired spiciness is up to you)
1 pack of 12 inch flour tortillas (you probably will not use the entire pack)
half of a small onion, chopped
small can of diced green chilies

Directions:
~Saute` the chopped onions in about 1/2 can of enchilada sauce in pot over medium heat on stove top.
~While those cook until they are softened, make sure you have the chicken pulled to bite size pieces.
~Once the onions are sauted; add 1 cup cheese, diced green chilies, and chicken. (if you want to stretch your meal you can also add half a can of refried beans or 1/2 to 1 whole can of pinto beans or black beans).
~Stir over low heat until cheese is melted and all is thoroughly combined. Don't stop stirring so

you don't burn your cheese on the bottom of the pot.

~Spoon a large spoonful of mixture onto a flour tortilla. (I like to use wheat tortillas since they are healthier and my family doesn't really notice a difference since the tortillas are covered with enchilada sauce and cheese).
~Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down on a greased casserole dish.
~Once the pan is full, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the entire dish and top with remaining cheese.
~Cook at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until bubbling and cheese is melted.
~Serve with side of Spanish rice, tortilla chips and guacamole.

Look at all the remaining chicken meat I have left over for my second dinner dish!

Here is recipe #2 (taken from here-I LOVE this website)

Easy Chicken Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked macaroni -or- any other small pasta shape
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed
1 small onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1lb roma tomatoes
1 cup good quality shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley [flat-leaf not the curly stuff]
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp butter
salt + pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1.  Cook the pasta and drain.

2.  Roast the tomatoes:
~Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
~Cover deep baking pan with aluminum paper [trust me this makes for ez clean up]
~Place tomatoes in baking dish drizzle with olive oil, salt + pepper and toss until evenly coated.
~Bake in preheated oven until the skins pop & start to brown, about 20-25 minutes.  Once cooled mash with a fork or potato masher.  Set aside.

3. Bring down oven temperature to 400 degrees.

4. Cook the chicken:
~Coat the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil over medium heat.
~Season chicken with salt + pepper.
~Add chicken to hot pan and cook for 3 min.
~Add onions and garlic, stir to combine and cook until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through.

5. Put the pasta together:
~Put cooked pasta, chicken mixture, mashed roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper [to taste] into a 8×12 baking dish.  Stir to combine.
~In a small bowl mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle over the pasta mixture.
~Dot the top with small bits of butter.
~Bake (at 400 degrees F.) until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

This recipe tastes so good and makes your house smell delicious in the process!

So, there you have it...Once Chicken=Two Dinners.

(I even had some boiled chicken left over that I turned into chicken salad for a snack)!