Chicken and Veggie Hash w/Bacon (or Leftovers in a Pan)

This is one of those meals that I literally just threw together, using what I had in the fridge. I catered a party this weekend and had roasted a chicken so that Scott wouldn't "starve", so the leftovers were shredded up and waiting for me in the fridge. I also had a fennel bulb, the end of a butternut squash, and a few carrots, but you can use really any combination of veggies that you've got on-hand. So, here's what I decided to do:

Ingredients:
8oz Cooked Chicken (rotisserie, roasted, boiled, or baked and can be shredded or cut into chunks)
6 Strips of Bacon, sliced into 1" pieces*
1 Cup Butternut Squash chunks (cut into 1-2" cubes)
1 Fennel Bulb, trimmed, quartered and then each piece cut into 2-3 pieces (keeping the bulb root intact)
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced (I like to cut my on the diagonal)
2T. Coconut Oil
1T. Ground Fennel Seed (I LOVE fennel, but fell free to use another seasoning)
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

*I like to cook my bacon in large batches, so that I have bacon fat and bacon bits ready when I need them. Just be sure to keep it out of sight...it will get eaten.

 

Roasting the Veggies**:

1. Preheat oven to 415F.
2. While oven is preheating, chop your veggies.
3. Once the veggies are chopped, spoon the coconut oil onto your baking sheet and transfer to the oven to melt, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the oven and add veggies to the pan, toss with oil to coat, sprinkle with fennel seed, salt, and pepper, and transfer back to the heated oven. 
4. Roast until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes (depending on the size you've cut your veggies). 

 


**This can be done in advance, with a larger quantity, so that your veggies are ready for hash, frittata, salads, or just reheating and eating with a piece of meat. Just let them cool before transferring to a tupperware container or aluminum foil and then to the fridge.

The Hash:

1. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy (add about 1T. of bacon fat and a handful of bacon pieces to the pan, if you've already done this).
3. Add the chicken the pan and toss to coat with bacon fat. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Add roasted vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2T. ground fennel and toss or stir. Cook until everything is heated through, about 3-5 minutes. 
5. Serve garnished with chopped fennel fronds, fresh parsley, and olive tapenade (I chopped up a Greek olive mix and some capers to make mine)...or just eat it as is. 

This recipe can be made in a matter of minutes, if you have vegetables prepped and chopped in your fridge...something to consider if you've got a day with some extra time to do so. I like to do this on the day that I do my grocery shopping...bring home my vegetables, clean them, chop them, and transfer them to ziploc bags or tupperware containers. I also chop up my herbs and store them the same way, so that it's just a matter of sprinkling...if i don't do this, I find that I've got a sad, wilted bunch of parsley that was purchased with good intentions, but never actually put to use. Sad. It can make a huge difference when hunger strikes and you think you've got "nothing to eat".