Chicken and turkey are popular for being high in protein and low in saturated fats making a mealtime staple for athletes as well as in many healthy eating households. Falling back on the same old recipes starts to become mundane and a little too routine.
Chicken and turkey are popular for being high in protein and low in saturated fats making a mealtime staple for athletes as well as in many healthy eating households. Falling back on the same old recipes starts to become mundane and a little too routine. Finding new ways to cook up the standard bird and keep it interesting (and keep your taste buds dancing) is time-consuming but in this series of recipes, I will highlight many different ways to prepare your poultry so your meal rotation is anything but boring. So whaddya say? Let’s play chicken!
Filling, simple to make breakfasts that provide protein and healthy fats for energy are my go-to for the morning meal. What I love about this chicken stacker is that it combines fresh vegetables in it as well. This is a fantastic way to use leftover chicken from last night’s meal. No matter what type of chicken you had for dinner, it will work in this dish. Slice yesterday’s chicken breast, use ground chicken taco meat, chicken sausage, or even a shredded barbeque sauced chicken and it’s bound to be a winner. Smoked chicken is particularly delicious used in this way. The vegetables in this stacker are mild enough and complimentary to work well with any seasoning.
For additional protein (and to make it more breakfast-y), I use a basted egg on top of the chicken. You can poach it as would be traditional for an eggs benedict style breakfast or you can cook the egg any way you like. I particularly like eggs that still have a runny yolk for maximum creamy, dreamy sauciness when you cut into it with your fork. It makes breakfast feel extravagant, yet it’s extra easy.
Chicken Stacker
Calories 302, Protein 23g, Carbs 8g, Fat 21g
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- Handful of spinach, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 tomato, sliced
- 2-3 oz cooked chicken breast, sliced or shredded (about 1/2 of a leftover cooked chicken breast)
- 1 egg, basted (or cooked any way you like)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon (about 1/2 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
- Green onion or chives, optional, for garnish
Preparation Instructions:
- Reheat chicken breast if desired.
- Stack ingredients onto a plate: spinach, avocado, tomato, and chicken.
- Baste egg or cook egg as desired. To baste an egg (as shown in photo), fill a sauté pan with about 1/2” water and heat until simmering. Gently crack egg into the water and spoon hot water over the egg a few times. Continue basting the egg with water occasionally until whites are cooked. Yolk should still be runny.
- Lift egg out of pan with a slotted spatula or fish spatula and place on top of the sliced chicken.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the cheddar.
- Toss green onion or chives on top if desired.
Notes: Get creative! Any type of chicken works for this recipe. Shredded, sliced, bbq, or you can even use ground chicken leftover from another recipe. Smoked, Mexican, Indian, or Asian seasoned chicken is delightful. Top with salsa or an Asian hot sauce for a kick.
