Leftover Chicken

I love rotisserie chicken. Boston Market's original rotisserie chicken is good, Publix Supermarket's is even better. For about $7 (or $5 if your lucky enough to live around the corner from a great little Colombian restaurant), you get an entire chicken that has been marinated and rotated over open flames for hours. Peel off the skin and you have a protein packed super food with less 200 calories per 6 ounces. Although it is tempting to scarf down the entire bird, I have some great ideas and recipes on what to do with your chicken leftovers.

Before embarking on the recipes below, get your fingers dirty and pull off the skin and chicken off the bone. This is easy since it practically falls off.

• Chicken Quesadillas- In a large, non-stick skillet over medium low heat, place a whole wheat tortilla in the dry pan. Layer on some shredded chicken, followed by low fat monterey jack cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Place a second tortilla on top and press down with your hand (be careful not to burn yourself). Place a large plate (or heavy duty aluminum foil) over top of pan and flip it over. Return skillet to burner and slide the quesadilla back into the pan to cook other side for 2-3 minutes. Serve with guacamole and salsa. You can make an Italian version by using ricotta cheese instead of monterey jack and spaghetti sauce instead of salsa.
• BBQ Chicken Pizza- Grab a whole wheat Boboli crust and place a thin layer of BBQ sauce (my favorite is Cattlemen's), shredded provolone cheese (Alpine Lace is a great low fat cheese) , chicken chunks, chopped green onions and flat leaf parsley. Place in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. You can also do this "no clean up style" on the grill by placing a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and cooking for 12 minutes.
• Chicken & White Bean Chili- This is super easy. Dice up a small white onion and a clove of garlic and saute in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat (you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like some heat). Drop in your chicken, a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup and a can of white beans. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until hot.
• Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps- This is an easy one. Finely chop your chicken until you have about 2 cups of chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green onions. Mix well. Peel off entire leaves of iceberg or bibb (Boston) lettuce. Wash and pat dry with a paper towel. Spoon your chicken mixture onto the lettuce, roll it up and enjoy.
• Chicken Florentine Frittata- This is just a fancy name for a chicken and spinach omelet. Omelets make great dinners when you don't have a lot of time or energy left after a hard day at work. Whisk four eggs, a pinch of salt and a dash of milk then drop in your chunks of chicken, set aside. Microwave a box of frozen spinach. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat spray some Pam, pour in the eggs, chicken and spinach. With a spatula, move the ingredients around until the eggs start to set. Cover the pan (if you don't have a cover, place aluminum foil tightly over the top (do not burn yourself) for 10 minutes to cook the frittata through. Flip frittata over on a plate (the bottom should be slightly browned), sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve. This dish also tastes great the next day cold.

There are so many things you can do with left over rotisserie chicken. It is great because it stays moist (unlike boneless chicken breasts you cook yourself) and pulls apart easily into tasty chunks to use in all sorts of recipes. Tomorrow on your way home from work, swing by and pick up a rotisserie chicken or two. Enjoy it straight up with a salad and a sweet potato. The rest of the week you can use your leftovers to make a quick meal and still not be tired of chicken by the end of the week.