One Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken = Three Healthy Meals

One of my go-to meal hacks when I know I’m going to be pressed for time, but still want to make a healthy choice is picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store! From enjoying the chicken carved with low-carb sides to including it in Keto and Gluten-Free recipes, a rotisserie chicken as my protein base is the ultimate way to meal prep. I’m so excited to partner with Raley’s to share just how I made one rotisserie chicken last all week, by using the chicken in multiple recipes!

With the instant pot and crock-pot, you can easily say that’s a no-brainer way to prepare chicken for the week, but let’s be real, sometimes you don’t even have time for that. And that’s okay when you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from Raley’s for just $7.99.

Meal Prep to Stay On Track With Your 2020 Goals

Some of your New Year’s Goals may include being more conscious of what you’re eating and/or saving money. The two go hand-in-hand. According to a recent Gallop poll, 41 percent of adults up to 35 had eaten out or ordered from a delivery app more than twice a week. Now, let’s say the average ticket price with tax, tip and/or delivery fee was $25 each time. If you do that three times a week, that’s $75. What if I told you that with a rotisserie chicken and my shopping list, you could make three different dinners for two people and spend less than $50? It’s possible at Raley’s and I’ve even created a list for you to print out for your next trip to the store!

Click to download your printable list!

This shopping list was perfect because I was able to use some of the items across recipes, which reduces unnecessary food waste. I know I can’t be the only one that buys a large quantity of an item for a recipe and then struggles to figure out how to use the rest before it goes bad. You won’t run into that with these rotisserie chicken meals.

Rotisserie Chicken Meal 1: Carved with Low Carb Sides

Rotisserie chicken on its own is delicious, and at Raley’s, you can enjoy an Organic Lemon Herb or Classic style. I wanted to keep this meal low carb, but high protein and fiber, so I selected two sides to handle the job. The Protein Power Salad was an easy find at the deli counter, and I was surprised to find out that a serving has 34% of your daily fiber.

Another easy and time saving hack is to steam your broccoli in the microwave. No pre-heating of the oven required! Here’s my recipe for tasty and bright (yes, I love a bright green crown) broccoli:

Ingredients:

• 1 crown of broccoli
• Salt + Pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. Butter

Directions:

1. Wash your broccoli and chop your crown into bite-sized pieces
2. Place in a microwave-safe bowl
3. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the bowl
4. Moisten a paper towel and place over the bowl
5. Microwave on HIGH for 3-5 minutes (check it for your desired tenderness)
6. Transfer to a dish and toss with salt, pepper, and butter to taste.

If you’re trying to keep things light and want to make sure you’re getting a healthy dose of nutrients, carved pieces of rotisserie chicken with sides is a great way to make sure you have a balanced plate.

Rotisserie Chicken Meal 2: Gluten-Free Shredded Chicken Tacos

Who doesn’t love tacos any day of the week?! The rotisserie chicken is so tender and shreds like a dream. You can shred your chicken, or carve the chicken and create diced pieces. You can’t go wrong either way, but shredded chicken is my favorite way to get a taco bar going at home! Taco toppings are personal, but I like to make sure my plate is colorful, with fresh salsa, a pinch of cheese, and lots of avocado (gotta get that healthy fat in!) to boot.

Ingredients:

• Raley’s Yellow Corn Tortillas
• Pico de Gallo Salsa (I like Casa Sanchez)
• Avocado
• Cabbage
• Cheese, for garnish
• Limes

Directions:

1. Warm your tortillas
2. Prepare your chicken for the tacos.
3. Dice avocado and place on top of chicken.
4. Spoon Pico de Gallo salsa along the chicken and avocado filling
5. Sprinkle cabbage shreds on top of the tacos
6. Squeeze lime over ingredients

 

Rotisserie Chicken Meal 3: Clean Keto Soup with Shredded Chicken

This soup was ridiculously simple and so so good. I couldn’t help but make another batch after this shoot! If you have a dairy sensitivity, you could absolutely switch out the butter with olive oil or a plant-based substitute. This recipe was originally found on Diet Doctor, but I made a couple of tweaks below to my taste.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. butter
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium-sized carrot, sliced
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1½ rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 5 oz. green cabbage, sliced into strips

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium heat.
2. Add diced onion, chopped celery, sliced mushrooms, and garlic into the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes
3. Add broth, sliced carrot, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender
4. Add cooked chicken and cabbage. Simmer for an additional 8-12 minutes until the cabbage “noodles” are tender.

Check Out the Raley’s Shelf Guide!

Next time you shop at Raley’s, pay attention to the tags on the shelf. You may notice different color icons on the tags. That’s not an accident! Raley’s created the Shelf Guide to help shoppers become very informed about the items available in the store. You can quickly interpret whether a product meets your needs, without having to analyze multiple labels. Some of the icons include:

• Organic
• Gluten-Free
• Plant-Based
• Keto-Friendly
• Clean Label (All of Raley’s Purely Made products qualify for the Clean Label icon)
• No Sugar Added

They even have icons for household, beauty and of course, our furry companions. Check out all of the shelf guide categories to get familiar with them before your next trip to Raley’s.

I hope this post served as inspiration for your weeknight meals, and to show that you don’t need a ton of groceries to eat well and reach your nutrition goals this year. Looking for the Raley’s nearest you? their store locator makes it easy for you to stop by on your way home tonight!

Bon appetit!

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Photos by Christina Best Photography