This is probably the most flexible of all four meals I made from my two whole chickens. A frittata is brilliant for those end-of-the-week dinners when you’ve got bits and pieces of vegetables in the fridge that need using, along with some cooked meat that isn’t quite enough to make a meal on its own.

For this one, I used 2 cups of the cooked chicken along with a generous amount of vegetables, eggs and cheese. The beauty of it is that the vegetables don’t need to be exactly the same every time. Potatoes, kūmara, pumpkin, leek, onion, beetroot and carrots can all go in, along with capsicum, mushrooms, spinach and whatever other odds and ends you have.

This was the final dinner in my challenge to turn two whole chickens I bought on special for $22 into four family-sized meals, and I think it’s a good example of how stretching meat doesn’t have to mean making the same sort of dinner over and over again.

Watch the Video

This Chicken & Vegetable Frittata is one of four family meals I made after finding two whole chickens on special for $22.

In the video, I show you how I started by putting both chickens into the slow cooker before using the cooked meat across four completely different dinners. I also explain how I saved the chicken carcasses and slow cooked them overnight to make a simple homemade chicken stock, which I used in another of the meals.

The four dinners I made were:

• Chicken & Vegetable Frittata
• Crispy Chicken Taco Bake
• Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake

You can watch the full video on my YouTube channel to see how I turned one supermarket special into four family-sized dinners.

Why This Frittata Works So Well for Using What You Have

Unlike a recipe where every vegetable plays a particular role, this one really is designed to be changed depending on what’s available.

You need around 5-7 cups of diced vegetables altogether, but that could be a mixture of potatoes, kūmara, pumpkin, leek, onion, beetroot or carrots. Capsicum, mushrooms, mixed vegetables and spinach can then be added to bulk it out even further.

It’s particularly handy when you have small amounts of several vegetables rather than enough of any one vegetable to build a meal around.

The cooked chicken adds protein without needing to be the main event, while the eggs and cheese bring everything together into a filling family meal.

More Meals from the Two-Chicken Challenge

If you’ve landed on this recipe after watching the video, you can find the other three dinners here:

• Crispy Chicken Taco Bake
• Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake

Other Recipes You May Like

For more easy family dinners and recipes that help stretch everyday ingredients, you might also like:

• Traditional Roast Lamb with Homemade Gravy
• Slow Cooker Beef Rissoles in Gravy
• Classic Homemade Scotch Eggs
• Easy Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Recipe Card

Chicken & Vegetable Frittata

Serves: Approximately 8–10
Prep Time: Approximately 10 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 1 hour
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 cups diced root vegetables, such as potato, kūmara, pumpkin, leek, onion, beetroot and/or carrot
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1–2 cups grated cheese
• 16 eggs
• 1 cup cream or milk
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups mixed vegetables
• 1 cup spinach
• Chives, optional
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a large baking or casserole dish.
2. Prepare your vegetables. If using firm vegetables such as potato, kūmara, pumpkin, beetroot or carrot, dice it into fairly even sizes.
3. Spread all of the vegetables and diced cooked chicken evenly through the prepared baking dish.
4. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream or milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
6. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Gently move the ingredients around if necessary so the egg mixture works its way through the filling.
7. Sprinkle with chopped chives, if using.
8. Bake at 180°C for approximately 1 hour, or until the centre is set and the egg is completely cooked through.
9. Allow the frittata to sit for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.

What to Serve with Chicken & Vegetable Frittata

Because this frittata already contains plenty of vegetables, chicken and eggs, it doesn’t need much alongside it. You could serve it with:

• A simple green salad
• Homemade bread rolls
• Tomato relish or chutney
• A spoonful of sour cream

It’s also lovely served cold or at room temperature, making leftovers handy for lunches.

Stacey’s Kitchen Tips

• Use approximately 5-7 cups of vegetables as your starting point. The exact combination doesn’t matter, which makes this a great fridge-clear-out meal.
• Milk or cream both work. Cream will give you a slightly richer frittata, while milk keeps it a little lighter.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed. They’re suggestions rather than a strict list.
• Let it rest before cutting. Giving the frittata 5–10 minutes after baking helps it firm up and makes it easier to slice.
• Use a large enough dish. This makes a substantial frittata with 16 eggs and plenty of filling, so don’t try to squeeze it into a small baking dish.

Variations & Substitutions

• Vegetables: Use whatever combination is in season or needs using from your fridge.
• Chicken: Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken would work just as well.
• Cheese: Tasty, Colby, cheddar or a mixture of cheeses can all be used.
• Spinach: Fresh or frozen spinach can be used. If using frozen, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture first.
• Herbs: Chives are optional. Parsley, thyme or mixed herbs would also work.
• Extra flavour: A little crumbled feta, Parmesan or leftover cooked bacon could also be added.

Storage, Freezer & Make-Ahead Notes

Storage: Once cooled, cover the frittata or transfer individual portions to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It can be eaten cold or reheated until piping hot.

Freezing: Allow the frittata to cool completely before slicing into individual portions. Wrap well or place in freezer-safe containers and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Keep in mind that vegetables with a high-water content may make the texture slightly softer once frozen and thawed.

Make Ahead: You can cook the firmer vegetables and prepare the chicken ahead of time, then assemble the frittata when you’re ready to bake it. The entire frittata can also be baked ahead and kept refrigerated for easy lunches or another meal.

Reheating: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, air fryer or oven until heated right through.

Final Thoughts

Of the four meals in this challenge, this is the one I’d be least likely to make exactly the same way twice — and that’s one of the reasons I like it.

Frittatas give you room to look in the fridge and work with what’s actually there. Half a capsicum, a few mushrooms, some leftover roast vegetables or a handful of spinach can all find their way in without needing another trip to the supermarket.

And that really sums up what I wanted to show with this $22 chicken challenge. The goal wasn’t simply to divide two chickens between four dinners. It was to use what I had wisely, stretch the chicken with other everyday ingredients and make four meals that genuinely felt different from one another.