Our Best Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

~ Rotisserie chicken is such an easy shortcut when time is tight! It effortlessly transforms into an endless array of delicious, healthy recipes … that come together in a snap! These are some of our very favorite recipes that start with a rotisserie chicken … and end with a scrumptious meal your whole family will enjoy! ~

I truly love to cook. You probably guessed that, right?

And, in my dreams, I can see myself … spending leisurely days in the kitchen, humming cheerfully as I flit about, surrounded by slow-roasting meats, yeast breads patiently awaiting their turn in the oven, and piles of glorious produce from my acres of carefully tended, organic backyard gardens.

Yeah … in my dreams!

Hello, reality!

Hello, ever-hanging schedules, smack-in-the-middle-of-dinner-hour practices, and relentlessly pinging cell phones!

Don’t get me wrong – I love my life! My busy, busy kids with all their sports and activities, and all our crazy adventures together. It just doesn’t have much in common with that dream world, the one where I’d have time to slowly roast a perfect chicken before even beginning the recipe that would use it, and where I’ve got oodles of time for extra steps. One day maybe …

But for today, getting a nutritious meal on the table (and creating those treasured moments at family mealtimes) sometimes means … shortcuts! You know I love a good shortcut! Here at THK, we’re all about helping you find make-ahead solutions, shortcuts and make-life-easier tips and tricks.

One of my very favorites? Rotisserie chicken!

As you sprint through the grocery store, frantically pulling items into your cart, relax and grab a beautiful rotisserie chicken (that someone else so thoughtfully roasted just for you!) … you’re already halfway home!

Sure, all of these recipes can be made with pretty much any chicken breasts, as long as they’re not too heavily flavored with spices or marinades that might conflict with the flavors of the recipe. But in a pinch, a rotisserie chicken will save the day time and time again!

Best part of all? These recipes are so delicious, they don’t feel like they started with a shortcut … and no one will ever guess your sneaky, savvy little secret!

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup {Olive Garden “Copycat”}

_________________________________

Healthy Chicken Salad with Grapes, Apples and Tarragon-Yogurt Dressing

_________________________________

Easy Chicken Parmesan Wraps

_________________________________

Quick & Easy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

_________________________________

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip (or try our lightening-fast microwave version of this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip)

_________________________________

Main Course Pecan Chicken Salad

_________________________________

Easy, Cheesy BBQ Chicken Wraps

_________________________________

Quick Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with Smashed Avocado

_________________________________

Easy, Healthy Chicken Salad with Quinoa, Tomatoes, Lemon and Basil

_________________________________

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies

_________________________________

Easy 7-Layer Chicken Taco Salad

_________________________________

Sweet and Sour Chicken Flatbread Pizza

_________________________________

Once you’ve used that magically time-saving rotisserie chicken to make a recipe for the humans in your house, what will you do with the leftover bits?

Don’t waste them! Stash them in the freezer until you have a couple minutes to make a tasty, healthy treat for your pup!

I’m not really sure when my dreams of leisurely days in the kitchen might come true, but these easy treats are little morsels of dream-come-true joy for our pooch, Finn. (Luckily, his puppy dreams are pretty achievable, especially if there’s a rotisserie chicken nearby!)

2-Ingredient Frozen Dog Treat Recipe (That Uses Up Leftover Chicken!)

~ OR ~

4-Ingredient Chicken and Biscuits Homemade Dog Treats

_________________________________

Don’t let a busy day or ever-changing plans keep you from pulling together healthy, satisfying family mealtimes. Embrace the shortcut, friends! Oh yeah … you’ve got this!