When your workday is over and you need to get dinner on the table quickly, it’s time to play chicken.
In the kitchen.
So you, like millions of others, stop at the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken.
And while your chicken, with its crisp, golden brown skin, will be delicious any way you slice it, you can — and should — take that bird a bit further.
Fast and easy chicken recipe options abound, from soups and salads to pizzas and pot pies. And don’t forget to make broth with the leftovers.
Today, we offer five ways to serve that rotisserie chicken to the delight of all those at your dinner table.
Herbed chicken pizza with roasted red peppers and artichokes
- 11/2 cups thinly sliced or cubed seasoned rotisserie chicken
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes or favorite canned tomatoes, well drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 prepared pizza crust (12-inch)
- 1 small jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, well drained and patted dry
- 1 jarred roasted red pepper, patted dry and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives, cut in half
- 1/4 pound fontina cheese, shredded or sliced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl mix the chicken, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; set aside.
Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few pinches of kosher salt on the pizza crust. Place crust on pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top crust with the chicken mixture, artichokes, red pepper, black olives and cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and cut into desired size pieces.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 382 calories (35 percent from fat), 15 grams fat (5 grams sat. fat), 48 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 1,001 mg sodium, 22 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber.
Adapted from “150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken and 50 Ways to Roast It” by Tony Rosenfeld
Chicken cobbler casserole
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cups cubed sourdough bread or rolls or day-old bread
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 11/2 cups sliced sweet onion
- 1 package (8 ounces) sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 can (103/4 ounces) reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup drained and chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
- 21/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss 4 tablespoons melted butter with bread cubes, cheese and parsley; set aside.
In a large skillet, place the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sauté onions over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes.
Stir in wine, soup, peppers and chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until bubbly. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish; top evenly with bread mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden brown.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 325 calories (49 percent from fat), 18 grams fat (9 grams sat. fat), 17 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein, 415 mg sodium, 85 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber.
Adapted from www.myrecipes.com.
Chicken pot pie
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup 1 percent milk
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 2 cups cubed or shredded seasoned rotisserie chicken
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Morton Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place 6 individual ramekins (6- to 8-ounce size) on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until it is just turning golden. Sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons of flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and milk. Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, thyme, seasoning blend, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook about 5 minutes.
If mixture is too thin, scoop out some of the liquid into a small bowl and mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir the flour mixture back into the saucepan and heat a few more minutes to thicken.
Divide the mixture into the ramekins. Cut out puff pastry rounds to just fit over the filling. Brush the top with egg wash.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry round is puffed and golden brown, and the filling is bubbly.
Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 6 individual pot pies. Per pie: 415 calories (48 percent from fat), 22 grams fat (6 grams sat. fat), 32 grams carbohydrates, 22 grams protein, 464 mg sodium, 52 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber.
Chicken chimichangas
- 11/2 cups picante sauce or salsa, divided
- 4 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon favorite chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 11/2 cups shredded Mexican-style or favorite cheddar cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray or canola oil
- For serving: Guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato
In a saucepan combine 1 cup picante sauce, chicken, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Spoon 1/3 cup mixture below center of each tortilla; top with about 2 tablespoons cheese.
Fold in 2 sides of tortillas to enclose filling. Fold over top and bottom edges of tortillas, making rectangles. Secure with wooden picks, if needed. Place, folded-side down, on greased baking sheets. Coat chimichangas with cooking spray or brush lightly with canola oil.
Bake for 8 minutes; turn and bake 5 more minutes. Remove picks if you used them. Serve chimichangas with remaining picante sauce and desired toppings.
Makes 10. Per chimichanga: 258 calories (20 percent from fat), 6 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 29 grams carbohydrates, 22 grams protein, 439 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber.
Adapted from www.myrecipes.com.
Sweet and sour roast chicken
- 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons or to taste chili garlic sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
- 1 warm fully cooked rotisserie chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
- 11/2 cups sliced seedless cucumbers
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion strips
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 fresh red or green chile, sliced, optional
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, water and chili garlic sauce until combined. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of the lime juice.
Brush half of the sweet-and-sour sauce over the flesh and skin sides of chicken pieces.
In a medium bowl, toss cucumbers and red onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. On a platter, arrange the frisée, cucumbers and onions and place chicken pieces on top. Sprinkle sliced chile, if desired. Spoon remaining sauce over chicken or serve on the side.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 762 calories (38 percent from fat), 31 grams fat (9 grams sat. fat), 35 grams carbohydrates, 82 grams protein, 1,211 mg sodium, 246 mg cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.
Adapted from www.delish.com.
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