The Yolk’s on Me: Rotisserie Chicken Rocks!
Please don’t laugh at my latest healthy obsession. It’s been around for — well, forever. It can be found in almost every supermarket, is a big time saver and frankly not that expensive. Since my discovery, I can’t imagine life without it.
So now when I am in a pinch and scrounging for dinner, I make that mad dash to the grocery store and pick up — yep, wait for it — a rotisserie chicken! And they come in different flavors, too! Obvious right? Well, not for me.
Yes, I make a point to perimeter shop the grocery store, and yes, those plump, juicy chickens are usually found right next to the deli case, but they are often surrounded by those pre-made, fat-laden dips and pre-breaded, previously frozen fish fillets, so I just walk on by. Foolish me.
Not only are they fantastic for a quickie dinner, but they can also be used to prepare other dishes. Amazing! With a precooked and pre-seasoned chicken at the ready I can make such delicacies as chicken enchiladas, chicken lasagna or, heck, even chicken potpie in no time.
Somehow in my mission to make home-cooked, healthy meals I adopted the misguided notion that convenience was not an option. But now, instead of factoring in roasting time for meal planning, I simply add one of those perfectly moist, golden birds to my shopping list and my dinner choices are boundless.
The fresh herb-roasted flavor is perfect for most any dish, the lemon pepper does wonders for my chicken fettuccine with asparagus, and the spicy chipotle bird makes chicken tacos a breeze. And all for a measly $6.99 a bird ($5.99 on sale)! It makes me giddy just thinking about it!
I am more than a little embarrassed that with all those years of cooking under my belt and a fancy culinary degree, I didn’t see it sooner. It’s maddening to think how many effortless mealtimes my myopic ways have cheated me out of, but at least I can see that proverbial forest now.
I still recommend bypassing many of those ready-to-eat items the grocer offers, but for a healthy and economically friendly choice, rotisserie chicken is no laughing matter.
What’s your favorite rotisserie-chicken creation? —Karen