Five 5-Ingredient Recipes with Rotisserie Chicken

It happens to all of us, even food bloggers.  We all have nights where we have very little time for dinner, we have no idea what to make for dinner, we have no food in the house to make dinner….or all of the above.  

You know what I’m talking about, it’s those nights when your kids have all kinds of activities they have to get to, where you are just too tired to put much thought or effort into dinner.  So what do we end up doing?  I know in our house those would be the nights where we order pizza delivery or Chinese takeout.  For others that means a trip through the drive-thru for burgers and fries.  

Nothing is wrong with that on an occasional basis, it can even be a nice treat.  But, we don’t want that to become a habit – either for our budgets or our waistlines!  But what do you do to solve this problem when you’re crunched for time or dog-tired?

I have a solution for at least some of those nights  and it starts with a rotisserie chicken.  Rotisserie chickens are so versatile, there are so many possibilities for dinner.  I have come up with five ideas for you, each of which starts with a rotisserie chicken and has just four additional ingredients.  

I’ve used help from the grocery store where it makes sense, like buying pre-cut veggies. But I still tried to keep everything healthy and affordable.  These are not gourmet meals by any means, they are meant to be easy meals for busy nights that are nutritious, tasty and affordable.  

With only five ingredients, you’ll be able to run in and out of the grocery store pretty quickly and once you get home, these recipes take little time to prepare.  If you’re able to do some pre-planning, you could even have a lot of these ingredients on hand already.  I should also mention that I considered olive oil, salt, pepper and some dried spices to be things you probably already have in your pantry.

So here are five ideas to help you get a home cooked dinner on the table quickly.  I know there are many more meals that you could make with a rotisserie chicken, hopefully this gets your creative juices flowing.  I would love to hear your ideas!

1. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Coleslaw

For four sandwiches:

• 2 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
• a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 4 hamburger buns
• 1 bag pre-chopped cabbage
• 1 bottle coleslaw dressing

Combine chicken and enough BBQ sauce to make it as saucy as you like it.  Heat in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through.While chicken is heating, combine cabbage with some of the dressing, until it’s a consistency you like. Serve chicken on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw if desired, or serve on the side.

2.  Chicken Caesar Salad

For four salads:

• 2 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 large bag pre-chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 bag croutons
• 1 bottle Caesar dressing
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread (or whatever bread you prefer)

Preheat broiler.  Slice bread and drizzle each piece with a little olive oil.  Place bread on a baking sheet and broil until bread starts to brown. Place lettuce and chicken in a large bowl and drizzle with desired amount of dressing.  Toss until well combined.  Divide between four plates and top with croutons. Serve with toasted bread.

3.  Chicken Pesto Pasta

For four servings:

• 2 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 box short cut pasta
• 1 – 6 oz container prepared pesto
• shredded parmesan
• 1 loaf  crusty French bread ( or whatever kind you prefer)

Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Once pasta is cooked, combine with chicken in a large serving bowl.  Add pesto and stir until well combined.  Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese and fresh ground pepper. Serve with bread.

4.  Chicken Quesadillas

For four quesadillas:

• 2 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used sharp cheddar)
• 1 bottle salsa
• 1 bag shredded lettuce
• 8 flour tortillas (I used the smaller 8 inch)