Four Favorite Uses for Rotisserie Chicken

Whenever I pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, we struggle to get through it all. My family doesn’t eat a lot, and my husband doesn’t enjoy eating leftover roast chicken day after day, so I had to get creative. These days, I rarely serve rotisserie chicken on its own. I almost always buy it to shred it and use it in recipes. Here are just a couple of easy favorites:

1. Chicken Salad: This isn’t really a recipe, but I have mentioned that my version of a chicken salad involves nothing but diced chicken and diced celery, or maybe some diced apple or some halved grapes. Keep it in a storage container in the fridge and have a little for lunch every day.

2. Tortellini Soup: This is my version of a Rachel Ray recipe, and it couldn’t be easier or healthier. Take whole wheat tortellini or even ravioli, and cook it by boiling it in chicken broth. After the tortellini is cooked, add shredded chicken directly to the pot. Just before serving, plop some spinach leaves into the broth to wilt, and then season the soup with fresh lemon juice and grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a yummy bread. It’s sooo good and takes minutes.

3. Easy Lowfat Chicken Enchiladas: I use the multigrain flatbreads or wraps instead of flour tortillas in this kind of recipe. Combine 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream, 1 6 oz. container of nonfat Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup salsa. Combine half of this salsa mixture with 1 1/2 cups of rotisserie chicken. Divide the chicken mixture among the four tortillas, rolling them up and placing them in an 8×8 inch square dish, seam side down. Top with remaining salsa/sour cream mixture, and then add lowfat shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350, until heated through and cheese is melted.

4. Chicken Tostadas: This recipe is courtesy of my friend Ashley, who made it recently for her family and won over the skeptics, including her husband. Combine 1 1/3 cups shredded, warmed rotisserie chicken with two teaspoons lime juice and 3/4 cup Pico de Gallo (store bought or make it yourself – see recipe below). Spoon over 4 Mission Yellow Tostadas and serve.

Pico de Gallo
6 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 to 1 sweet onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 avocados, cut into small cubes
4 – 6 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic!)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice from 2 limes
1 tbsp ground cumin
sea salt and crushed black pepper, to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a big old bowl, as this recipe makes a lot. Remove the seeds and juicy parts of the tomato for better consistency. Add the avocados last and immediately cover with lime juice so they don’t brown. Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours.