What CAN'T You Do With A Chicken?

You're late leaving work, you still have to pick up the kids/dogs/grandma, and in about 30 minutes, someone is going to be whining for DINNER.  What's a stressed out cook to do?  Stop at whatever grocery store is most convenient, run in and grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (and that's ALL), and get back in your car and go.  Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.  

Unless you've been living in a barn, you are well aware that every supermarket on this continent now offers precooked rotisserie chickens, and maybe you've already taken advantage of that convenience.  And yes, maybe you've also thought to yourself, "You know, I could buy an uncooked chicken and all the other fixings for dinner for less than I'm paying for this little precooked devil," but right now we are talking about the value of your time and about stress reduction -- priceless.  

Of course, the no-frills way to enjoy a rotisserie chicken is straight out of its handy plastic nest, separated into everybody's favorite parts.  And don't forget to use the yummy juices swirling around in the bottom of the container.  Instant mashed potatoes, anyone?  (You didn't hear that from me.)

But if you have just a few more minutes, here are some other tasty options for that birdie:

1) Shred chicken and put it on top of a big green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, hard-boiled eggs, artichokes, black beans, and anything else you have in the fridge or in a can in your pantry.

2) OR stuff all those ingredients along with the chicken into large lettuce leaves (Romaine and butter lettuce work nicely) and call it lettuce wraps.

3) Fill warmed taco shells with shredded chicken, cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa.  

4) OR load all those ingredients onto a pile of tortilla chips then top with salsa for a taco salad.

4) Mix shredded chicken with prepared BBQ sauce and serve on warmed buns topped with cole slaw.

5) Add shredded chicken to a stir fry of green onions, red bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, carrots, soy sauce, and a little Sriracha if you roll that way, and serve it all over rice.  

6) Boil water for pasta and cook it while you're shredding the chicken.  Then combine those two ingredients with a little sour cream, shredded cheese, and whatever vegetables you have on hand (conveniently zapped in the microwave).  

7) Add shredded chicken to leftover soup or chili to pump up the protein.  

There really isn't anything you CAN'T do with a rotisserie chicken.  And for heaven's sake, don't miss out on the bonus opportunity -- put that carcass in a pot with onions, carrots, celery, water or prepared broth, and seasonings (salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, sage, the list goes on), and make soup for another night.  Double birdie whammy!