5 Meals from a Roast Chicken

This is rapidly turning into a food blog, which is not my intention, but it's my favorite thing so I will probably write about it most often. I spend most of my time thinking about what I will be eating for my next meal. So, it comes with great pride that I was able to make multiple different meals from one rotisserie chicken from Publix.

I work in the evenings, often late, and I find it hard to cook most of the time. Therefore, I make quick lunches or easy late night dinners. I have also been seeking ways to increase the vegetables and lean protein in my diet, so when I went to Publix last week (see previous post), I finally decided to try one of their Mojo Whole Rotisserie Chickens.

This is not my chicken, just a reenactment found on this website.

Meal #1: The Roast Chicken
I got back from Publix about 10pm that night and still hadn't eaten dinner. The chicken that caught my attention was still warm and fresh so I ate the drumsticks and a wing with a salad and some pita chips. A filling meal, and since the chicken was already done, I only had to throw together the salad which only took me a few minutes. Simple, easy and delicious. But, what to do with the rest of my chicken?

Meal #2: Salad with Chicken Breast
The next day, I had to make a quick lunch before work, so I sliced off one of the chicken breasts-skin removed-and tore it into tiny pieces on top of organic spring greans. That, with a bit of shredded cheddar, Publix fresh croutons, and Annie's creamy Cowgirl Ranch Dressing (a favorite natural dressing of mine), was a delightful lunch. The protein from the chicken breast and cheese filled me up for the day, and the ranch dressing was creamy and really added flavor to the meal.

Meal #3: Chicken and Swiss Panini
This was my first venture into the world of the home-made panini style sandwich. I had some time on my hands and really craved a restaurant style sandwich. I will admit, I have become quite a sandwich junkie for lunch, and I've collected numerous toppings, breads, and cheeses to really make it interesting. I decided to use the other chicken breast and sliced it down the middle so that it would be thinner. Fresh-baked Publix 5 Grain Italian bread was my base, on top I spread honey dijon mustard, then placed swiss cheese on each slice (to really make it melty and delicious). Finally, a couple sliced dill pickels and the skinless chicken breast and I was good to go!

I got the pan ready and lightly buttered the both sides of the outer bread on the sandwich in order to make it crispy. I threw it in the pan and all seemed good. Once one side got crispy, I flipped it, but then I noticed something: the sandwich was still thick and awkward, not the awesome, flattened versions that I usually see with cheese melted all over the place. I was lacking one of those sandwich squishing machines, so I went for my homemade option of a plate. I placed a plate over the top of the sandwich then squished it down by placing weight over it and voila, a flat panini sandwich was all mine!

Not the best picture, but you get the idea.

This was a huge success! Definitely not a totally "healthy" option with all the cheese and the butter, but not at all bad. A rich hot sandwich that makes lunch at home just a little more interesting.

Meal #4: Chicken Salad Sandwich
I didn't have all the ingredients for an elaborate chicken salad (grapes, celery etc) and I had limited amounts of time, but I wanted to try to use the rest of the meat the chicken could give me. I shredded the last bits of the chicken meat, and yes I had to get pretty familiar with my chickeny friend in order to do so, but the results were enough for a full sandwich.

As I said my other ingredients were few, so I basically used Mayo and a little White Wine Dijon Mustard as my base with some salt, pepper and garlic. Next is my flavor enhancing secret: Penzeys Garden Salad Seasoning!

Penzeys is a spice shop that I found in Winter Park, a fabulous old town near downtown Orlando that has tons of shops and restaurants with a strong resemblance to Santa Cruz, but more on that later. This store had wall-to wall spices, but the seasoning mixes are my favorites because they add flavor to everything. This one primarily consists of dried Romano cheese, poppy seeds, sesame, onion and chives. It gave my quick chicken salad sandwich just the kick it needed!

After a few minutes to chill everything together in the refrigerator -I feel it helps the chicken absorb the mayo a bit but I am probably full of shit- I placed it on my favorite multi-grain bread, topped it with some lettuce, and had a nice, light-tasting sandwich for lunch. Very refreshing.

Meal #5: TBD
I saved what was left of my ever-giving chicken in a plastic bag in the freezer. I can use it for a soup base or stew to really add richness and flavor to whatever I decide to create.

So, as you can see, I really got more than my money's worth. One $6 made 4 filling meals, and someday will be the base of one more. This is great for affordable meals with many options that require little time to prepare. Hope this inspired you to pick up one of your own and give it a try!