5 Ways with Rotisserie Chicken

Buying a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store can make meal preparation really easy.  You buy a whole cooked chicken, then take apart the pieces you want.  It is important to remember that some parts of the chicken are healthier than others.  The skin is going to be the least healthy part.  The skin itself contains a lot of saturated fat.  It is also where the butter and salt get laid on before the chicken is cooked.  So I always peel off the skin.  The dark meat is higher in fat than the white meat.  So when you are deciding which meat to use for which recipe, use the higher fat meat with a lower fat recipes.  

So here are some ideas on how to use the chicken meat:

Use  thigh meat for a Chicken Taco Salad

Make a salad of greens, strips of red and green bell peppers, onion.  Top with salsa, a small sprinkle of Mexican cheese, a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, and plash of hot sauce.  Throw on the pulled chicken meat and you've got a super fast dinner.  If you don't like uncooked peppers and onions, saute them for about 5 minutes in a little canola oil and sprinkle with pepper and paprika.

Use breast meat for a Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich

In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine, 3 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp Caesar dressing, 1 tbsp grated parmesan, pulled meat of one chicken breast, 1/4 tsp pepper.  Stir so that the dressing coats everything.  Toast a bun or roll, or use pita bread.  Recipe makes 2 sandwiches

Use thigh meat for a Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad

Make a salad of romaine and spinach.  Top with chopped green bell pepper, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced onion, a few walnuts, and chicken meat.  Make a dressing of 1 part Dijon mustard, 2 parts olive oil, 2 parts balsamic vinegar, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.

Use breast meat for a Greek Chicken Salad Sandwich

In a food processor, chop 1 smal cucumber and 2 peeled garlic cloves.  Then in a bowl, mix together shredded chicken, the chopped cucumber, 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp crumbled feta, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp dried dill.  Toast a bun or roll, or use pita bread.  Recipe makes 2 sandwiches.

Use breast or tenderloin meat for a quick BBQ Chicken Pizza

Use a small spoonful of BBQ sauce to mix with the shredded chicken meat.  Spread a small amount of BBQ sauce over the inside of each half of a sandwich thin ( such as Arnold Breads), then top with thinly sliced red onion, a few thin slices of green bell pepper, and the chicken.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese on each sandwich half.  Set a toaster oven to 'Broil' on low, or a 'Pizza' setting and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.