Nothing is as delicious as a roasted chicken to gather the entire family! 6 side ideas to change from fries, pasta and rice.
1. Mashed… No, there is not just mashed potatoes in life! Carrots, broccolis, celeriac, squash... all great in that shape. For the ones in a hurry, there are ready-made mashed vegetables in the frozen section. The greedy ones have an infallible technique to swoon from pleasure: they dig a hole in the mash and pour the juice of a roasted chicken. Irresistible.
2. Stir-fried vegetables. Hard to make al dente green beans tastier than when sautéed in the juice of a roasted chicken! To avoid hulling, the frozen version will do fine and in case of "roasted chicken" emergency, canned beans can avoid cooking altogether. This works with many vegetables: broccolis, zucchinis, salsifies fresh or canned...
3. Roasted vegetables. Other variation around the chicken’s juice: roasting vegetables at the same time as the chicken and in the same dish. They will fill up in the poultry’s juice and seasoning (garlic, herbs, lemon...) will cooking. A delight with carrots, celeriac, sweet potatoes, turnips or even whole shallots.
4. A gratin. Zucchinis, chard, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms...: most vegetables can turn into delicious family gratins with cream or bechamel and a thick layer of cheese on top. Once again, the frozen section has many vegetables ready to use with Bonduelle favourite : frozen spinach with “untouched leaves”. Picked when perfectly ripe, they can be layered leaf after leaf to preserve their flavour, colour and texture. Lest we forget: frozen gratin ready to eat.
5. A ratatouille. Hard to imagine summer without its vegetables (tomato, zucchini, aubergine, pepper) cooked in a ratatouille! The secret for success? Sautee each vegetable separately then candy everything slowly and for a while. An ideal dish as a side to a summer style chicken.
6. A green salad. Lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, oak-tree leaf, rocket, baby spinach, spinach...: salads – very practical when packed – allow to nicely support a roasted chicken with a touch of freshness and acidity while reducing fat quantities. Think also of deli salads: grated carrots, remoulade, beetroot cubes, ideal when going on a picnic with your cold roasted chicken: an excellent snack idea on the way to your vacations!