Rotisserie chickens are kitchen workhorses. They’re affordable, convenient, and can be utilized in so many ways. As children return to school and households to a different routine, having a chicken in the kitchen that someone else cooked is a pipeline to several easy and beloved meals. Rotisserie chicken is the ultimate convenience food. And because they tend to be highly-seasoned, the flavor of any dish you make with the meat will pop.
Rotisserie chickens make great tacos. Photo by Shutterstock.
I asked listeners for your rotisserie chicken hacks, and Mexican food won by a mile. From enchiladas, which several people mentioned, to tacos, taquitos, nachos, and even pozole, we Angelenos know our comfort food well. If you’re attempting to restore healthy eating along with returning to a back-to-school routine, I suggest making tostadas or even fajita bowls.
Use the meat from a rotisserie chicken to make a cobb salad. Photo by Shutterstock.
It’s always still hot when kids go back to school, so perhaps a hot meal for dinner is more than anyone really wants. Maybe a main course salad is what you need. It could be a chunky chicken salad with plenty of celery. Add diced apples or grapes for a hint of sweetness if you like, chopped hard boiled eggs if you prefer a richer, savory vibe. Serve it with lettuce cups for everyone to create their own wraps. Or make a chicken caesar, or a cobb salad that suits the taste of everyone at the table.
A platter of crudites with meat from a rotisserie chicken along with a garlic mayonnaise dip is a lovely cooling dinner idea. Photo by Shutterstock.
Another idea that is festive but doesn’t require the stove is to make a grand aioli. It’s simply a spread of raw and cooked (you can use the microwave) vegetables accompanied by a protein, the chicken in this case. Traditionally the accompanying dip is a garlicky mayonnaise but you could use any dip you like, even ranch dressing. If you don’t mind cooking a little, you could put carrots, asparagus, and sliced potatoes on a baking sheet, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them. Served at room temperature with the chicken, you’ll have a lovely meal.