Do you have a go-to food when time is tight or you just do not feel like cooking? Something you know everyone loves and is easy to throw together? Mine is store-bought rotisserie chicken.

“But my favorite remained the basic roast chicken. What a deceptively simple dish. I had come to believe that one can judge the quality of a cook by his or her roast chicken. Above all, it should taste like chicken: it should be so good that even a perfectly simple, buttery roast should be a delight.”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

It’s been a busy, and quite frankly a tiring, week back here at home. We have an ongoing backyard project, we’ve been unpacking and reintegrating our belongings from St. Thomas back into our house, and of course there is the blogging and NaNoWri commitments. Let’s just say I have not been preparing any gourmet meals this week. I’ve been looking for quick and easy…and healthy. This is where a nice rotisserie chicken comes into play.

I can whip up any of several nutritious meals with a chicken. It is especially great in the summer because it is so darned hot outside already. No need to introduce even more heat by actually cooking when I don’t feel like it.

Some of my favorite ways to serve it:

• Make your own tortillas: I set out tortillas, some of the chicken (which I shred), cheese, and various cut up veggies like onions, peppers, and avocados. Sometimes it is just as simple as cheese and chicken and salsa. Just depends on how I feel and what is available. I may make some rice and black beans to go with it. Maybe a salad.
• Sliced off of the bone: Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans and/or a green salad.
• Chicken Salad: I take the chicken off of the bone, cube it and add celery, pecans, and grapes. I dress it with a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream with dill added in (or tarragon). Serve on top of a green salad or make into a sandwich.
• Chicken Stock: Don’t let that carcass go to waste!! Add it to a stock pot with some garlic, celery, carrots, herbs/spices, salt and water. Let it cook down for about an hour and you end up with a wonderfully healthy and delicious stock. If you can’t make it right away it is easy enough to store the carcass in the freezer for a day when you do have time. I like to freeze the stock for soups or braises or gravy later.
• With Pasta: Cook some pasta, add some tomato sauce or pesto while it’s hot, then sprinkle some grated cheese and tomatoes over it. Mix in some rotisserie chicken chucks for a meal that comes together fast.

Tonight I am slicing some leftover rotisserie chicken and serving it over a green salad. My salad is already made so dinner tonight will go together in minutes. All I need to do is make a salad dressing (yes, I make my own…so easy!).

I’d love to know your fast fix for dinner when you aren’t in the mood for cooking…

Please share with your friends, thank you!