The nightly question returns

School is back, so "what's for dinner?" is on repeat. Chicken is the answer that bends to whatever night you're having.

“Once the school year beings, this quickly becomes everyone's favourite question.”

Leftover rice, rescued

Maxine Sharf's family fried rice needs day-old rice, cubed chicken breast, soy sauce, butter and sesame seeds. A fridge cleanout that tastes deliberate.

Milanese on a school night

Mimi Thorisson swaps the traditional breaded veal for chicken breast. Pounded, breaded, fried, done, with almost no time or effort involved.

Vij's korma, fragrant and filling

Vancouver chef Vikram Vij builds his korma on turmeric and red chili powder. Serve it hot with rice or naan, or both.

Chicken over potatoes

Cory Vitiello roasts a whole bird on thinly sliced potatoes in one casserole dish. The potatoes drink the drippings, and leftover juices get spooned over the plate.

One sheet pan, one lemon

Shea McGee bakes citrusy chicken with brussels sprouts on a single pan. Oregano leaves and Parmigiano-Reggiano finish it, herbaceous and salty.

Tagine without the fear

Clodagh McKenna marinates airline chicken breasts in a deep, spicy rub, then adds saffron, smoked paprika and hot stock. Most of the time is just the oven working.

“Don't be intimidated.”

A salad with real texture

Molly Baz layers shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken with her Coconut Crunch granola topper. Keep a jar of it around for garnishing anything plain.

“Forget boring, one-note salads.”

Crispy thighs, vinegar beans

Christine Flynn fries seasoned thighs skin-side down until crisp, then sets them over butter beans, onions and olives. Cosy in any season.

Lemongrass and chili off the grill

Bone-in thighs marinate in lemongrass and siling labuyo for heat. Serve with broken rice, fractured grains that soak up more liquid, or noodles.

Five ingredients, 75 minutes

Jamie Oliver's pot-roast chicken uses the bird at the back of your freezer. Prep briefly, let it go golden in the oven, make a herb salsa, get on with your evening.

The lazy but home-cooked bake

Marinate thighs and drumsticks in jarred peppers and tzatziki, brown them, roast with cooked couscous. Mediterranean dinner with almost no shopping list.

“If you're feeling lazy but still want a home-cooked meal, this one is for you.”

Ditch the flavour pack

Ina Garten throws out the ramen seasoning and builds her own broth with aromatics, vegetables and skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts. The noodles do the rest.

When you want to show off

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen's blackened chicken with caramel and clementine dressing takes more effort than one pan, but it's weeknight-doable and great as leftovers. Or go simple: Trish Magwood's pomegranate-topped bake, Tieghan Gerard's sticky apricot chicken, or a batch of salt-and-pepper wings.

“Sometimes, it's a wing night.”