Let's Make a Meal Mondays

Create 5 Simple Meals with Rotisserie Chicken

Have you surfed the Food Network web site? http://www.foodnetwork.com/ is a mouthful of cooking information from recipes to video cooking demos to cooking with kids and so much more.
My favorite find on the Food Network site was 5 simple meals to create using the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken you can purchase at your local grocery store, Costco or Sam’s Club. I personally purchase mine at Costco, because they are less expensive and tend to be a little bigger than the grocery store ones. With my hungry family of 7, bigger is better.

Mango Honey Chicken with Mango Slices
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee

Glaze:
2 cups honey
1 cup mango juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 (3 to 4 pound) whole rotisserie chicken
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick
Toothpicks, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 bunch basil, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450°.

For the glaze: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the honey, mango juice, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Place chicken on a nonstick cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat chicken with a generous amount of glaze. Place mango slices over breast meat to create a zebra stripe. Insert toothpicks to secure slices into chicken.
Bake chicken just until warmed throughout, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken and discard toothpicks. Garnish with fresh basil.


Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches



1 tablespoon canola oil


1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons molasses

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)

6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls

6 large green lettuce leaves

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, and then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.


Fastest-Ever Enchiladas

Recipe courtesy of Ingrid Hoffman, 2008

Salsa:
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained


2 scallions, light green and white parts only, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, juiced Pinch salt

Enchiladas:

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (skin and bones discarded)

2 cups grated cheddar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

To prepare the salsa: Combine the tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Add a healthy pinch of salt and set aside at room temperature until ready to cook the enchiladas.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

To prepare the enchiladas: Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Add half of the grated cheese, sour cream, and onion; season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Place the tortillas on your work surface. Spoon about 1 cup of the chicken mixture across the center of each tortilla. Roll them up to close and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Pour the salsa over the tortillas. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle the enchiladas with the remaining 1 cup of grated cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven until the cheese is melted and edges of the tortillas are just beginning to get crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot


Curry-in-a-Hurry Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 pound rotisserie chicken meat, skinned, boned and diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup shredded carrot, a couple of handfuls
4 scallions, chopped on an angle
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons curry powder or 2 rounded teaspoons mild curry paste
Salt and pepper
8 ounces mixed baby greens
2 tablespoons mango chutney, found on condiment aisle, plus some to pass at table
1 tablespoon rice wine or white vinegar, eyeball it
3 tablespoons vegetable, canola or safflower oil, eyeball it
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sliced smoked almonds

Combine meat, celery, red grapes, carrot and scallions. Add yogurt and curry to the salad, and toss to evenly distribute the curry. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to your taste.

To dress the greens, add salad to a bowl. In a second bowl, combine chutney and vinegar. Whisk in oil. Drizzle dressing over greens and toss.

To assemble, pile dressed greens on a plate. Using an ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops of chicken salad on greens. Garnish with toasted almonds.


Quick-Fix Chicken Chili Mole





1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5 teaspoons Pre-Chopped Garlic (recipe follows)

1 large onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 canned jalapeno peppers, diced
1 packet chili seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 bottle beer
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, shaved
2 scallions, chopped, for garnish
Cheddar, for garnish

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add red bell peppers and jalapenos and saute for 5 more minutes, until soft. Stir in chili seasoning packet and cinnamon and cook until spices are fragrant. Add tomatoes, pinto beans, shredded chicken, and beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate just before serving. Garnish with grated cheddar and chopped scallions, if desired.

Pre-Chopped Garlic:

1 head garlic, peeled
Olive oil, to cover

Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the garlic is finely minced. Spoon the minced garlic into a jar and pour over enough oil to cover the garlic. Seal well and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Do you have a special recipe using rotisserie chicken? Share it with the 24/7 MOMS!