Recipe: Ten unique ways to put rotisserie chicken to use

Once a novelty in select stores, rotisserie chicken is now ubiquitous in supermarkets and other food centers. People are drawn to rotisserie chickens by flavor and convenience. Hot and ready to serve, rotisserie chicken makes for a quick and easy meal when time is of the essence and people don’t want to spend on dining out at a nearby restaurant.

Rotisserie chicken can be served right out of the container just like a traditional roasted chicken. It also can be a component in many different meals. Consider these 10 ideas for putting rotisserie chicken to use:

1. After most of the meat from the chicken is eaten, boil the carcass with sliced onion, parsnips, carrots, turnips, and your preferred herbs to make a soup stock. Add bits of leftover chicken and noodles to have a delicious chicken soup.

2. Purchase premade pie crust and use it to line small ramekins. Mix chopped rotisserie chicken with a can of cream of chicken soup and thawed frozen mixed vegetables. Spoon the mixture on top of the bottom crust, then top with another crust round, poking venting holes in the pastry. Heat up until the crust browns and the filling is piping hot. The result is a delicious chicken pot pie.

3. Rotisserie chicken can be used as the filling for enchiladas, fajitas, and tacos. Simply season with a packet of taco seasoning or make your own blend from a combination of paprika, chili powder and cumin.

4. Pulse rotisserie chicken meat in a food processor with celery, dill and a few dollops of mayonnaise or even Greek yogurt or ranch salad dressing. Add some crumbled bacon and serve the chicken salad between slices of toasted whole wheat bread.

5. Shred the rotisserie chicken and blend together with melted butter and hot sauce to make it Buffalo-style. Use it as a topping for pizza served with a blue-cheese sauce on the crust.

6. Add pieces of rotisserie chicken to omelettes and top with melted cheese for a savory breakfast or brunch option.

7. Rotisserie chicken chunks can be added to any of your favorite casserole recipes in lieu of fresh chicken.

8. Make mac-and-cheese a more substantial meal by mixing in shredded rotisserie chicken.

9. Recreate “chicken bog,” a traditional South Carolina dish made from chicken cooked in broth and rice to make a thick and creamy meal.

10. Create a chicken stir-fry with the rotisserie chicken, Asian vegetables and seasonings. Serve over glass rice noodles.

These are just a few of the many different ways to utilize rotisserie chicken in everyday cooking.