i've got some cooked chicken in the freezer..

[Toowittoowoo]

...and i'm a bit confused about how to safely use it. It seemed like a good idea at the time as we have lots of leftover roast but now it has been there for over a month and i don't know what to do with it. Previous attempts at reheating has resulted it turning into a tuna like mush in a sauce.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Stir fry?

risotto. I make a very inauthentic but quick risotto which the dc love, and quite often use leftover cooked frozen chicken.

I basically defrost it, shred it and then cook with chopped onions until heated through and onions are soft. Then I throw in rice, stock and any veg which is lurking at the bottom of the fridge. If it's end of the week and we've run out of fresh veg, then I have been known to use tinned tomatoes and sweetcorn......

does it not turn to mush? i must have done something wrong last time as mine had the consistency of tinned tuna.

Presumably i need to thoroughly reheat it? I can't just defrost it an use it for sandwiches or a quick roast for the kids?

I use it to make soup. Fry diced onion till translucent in a little oil, add diced carrot and stir and add some good stock. Simmer for ten minutes then add some wilted greens - I usually wilt them in the pan before I start the soup and keep them to one side - and the chicken diced into reasonable size pieces. Simmer very gently till the chicken is heated through. It's already cooked so just needs to be properly hot. Can make it more substantial with noodles, tiny pasta, diced potato and/or cream. Serve with crusty bread - Dinner!

Yes, it is safe to defrost and use cold in sandwiches etc.

If you want it hot, I find it best to re-heat it quickly - if you do something longer with it you are re-cooking it, which is why it is mushy. You can nuke in microwave to re-heat, 2-3 minutes on high, or wrap the lot in foil and put in oven for 20 mins or so if you are cooking something else. If re-heating make sure it is really hot all the way through then it's safe. The dangerous stuff is 'warmed up a bit'.

So you can make a curry/gravy whatever and drop in the chicken for last 10 minutes to bubble away. You can stir fry it for a few minutes till hot. Cooked meat will be the last thing I add in to what I'm cooking.

Chicken can easily disintegrate into stringy bits- if you have to stir do it gently.