My family never bought rotisserie chickens growing up. My mom (well, both my parents really) is an incredible cook and would make a roast chicken, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables from scratch every weekend.
And while I would love to be the perfect housewife who has a whole roast dinner on the table promptly at 5pm every Sunday, well… in this stage of life with three under four… it’s not happening. Enter: the humble rotisserie chicken, which is the base for a wholeee bunch of our meals lately! Even a small bird has quite a bit of meat, so we usually make two chicken-based dinners and then also have leftovers for 1-2 lunches during the week.
Rotisserie Chicken Dinner Ideas
Here are some ways I use rotisserie chicken to make quick, easy and healthy dinners:
- Saute with veggies and taco seasoning in coconut oil and serve on tortillas with avocado, cheese and salsa for easy chicken tacos.
- Cook chicken quesadillas, topped with guacamole.
- Use it to top a rice bowl: a homemade “burrito bowl,” roasted veg + hummus bowl, add cream cheese and parmesan for a cheesy chicken rice bowl—the possibilities are endless.
- Toss with enchilada sauce, roll into tortillas, top with more sauce and cheese and bake for some easy enchiladas. Or layer the chicken mixture, cheese and tortillas for an enchilada bake!
- Chop and simmer with a jar of marinara and veggies for an easy, healthy pasta sauce.
- Serve fresh out of the bag with rice/potatoes/sweet potatoes and a green vegetable.
- Use to top a vegetarian soup (from a box or the freezer stash) for a protein boost.
- Cut the prep time on chili by using pre-cooked chicken. My mom makes an incredible white bean chicken chili that she sometimes uses leftover chicken for!
- Pair with smorgasbord fixings for a snacky dinner. Think fresh bread or crackers, fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, hummus, etc.
- Saute with green onions, garlic, broccoli and soy sauce + serve over rice for a cheat stir-fry.
- Make a hearty sandwich with mayo, greens, sliced tomatoes, and leftover chicken, served with fruit.
- Throw together some Chicken Parmesan Rice Bakes.
- Make Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Rice Bakes.
- Throw together a big salad with greens, fresh veggies, chicken, nuts/cheese and of course dressing. The Primal Kitchen avocado oil dressings from Whole Foods are my favorites.
- Use chopped leftover chicken as a nacho topping… Eric and I made nachos every Friday in college 😛 yum!
Someday I’ll have the time and motivation to whip out my Le Creuset and bake a whole bird with all the fixings, but in the meantime, Whole Foods rotisserie chicken dinners are my crutch and I’m not sad about it!
xx Claire
