buying and using a rotisserie chicken
When time is tight, a rotisserie chicken is a cook’s secret weapon. You can carve the bird and serve it with some purchased side dishes for an instant dinner, or use the meat to make superfast soups, salads, and sandwiches. Follow these tips for purchasing and using one of the best ever kitchen time-savers.
• Shop at a busy store where it’s obvious they sell a lot of rotisserie chicken. Bustling stores will roast chickens throughout the day and you’ll have a better chance of getting a freshly roasted bird.
• Look for stores that use a time stamp on the package to tell you what time the bird came out of the oven. Most stores pull chickens off the shelf after 2 to 3 hours and use the meat to prepare foods for their deli.
• If there’s no time stamp, look for smooth evenly golden skin. Shriveled or very dark skin can indicate the bird is overcooked and dry. If you see the attendant removing chickens from the rotisserie while you are shopping, by all means, ask for one. Some stores even make an announcement on the loudspeaker when fresh chickens are just coming out of the oven.
• If you’re concerned about extra sodium, ask if the store marinates the chicken in a brine solution and if they use any salt in seasoning the chicken before cooking.
• Before carving rotisserie chicken or using it in recipes, remove and discard the skin to save PointsPlus value.
• For safety, always refrigerate any unused chicken within 2 hours of purchasing and use within 4 days.
• To make a chicken sandwich wrap from pantry staples, toss together ¾ cup cooked shredded skinless chicken breast, ¼ cup thinly sliced celery, 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion, 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Top a medium flour tortilla with lettuce leaves, top with the chicken mixture, and roll up. PointsPlus value: 7.
• For a 10 minute chicken and rice soup, bring 1½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add ¾ cup cooked diced skinless chicken breast, ¼ cup cooked brown rice, and 1 thinly sliced scallion; return to a boil. Stir in a handful of baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. PointsPlus value: 6.
• Use rotisserie chicken in these recipes to make them even quicker:
Chicken Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust
Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas
walnut chicken salad with broccoli
Serves 4
3 cups fresh small broccoli florets
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
1 McIntosh apple, chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
1 Bring medium saucepan of water to boil. Add broccoli and cook just until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold running water until cool and drain. Pat dry on paper towels.
2 Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Add broccoli, chicken, apple, scallion, and raisins; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with walnuts just before serving.
PER SERVING (1¼ cups): 169 Cal, 6 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 33 mg Chol, 261 mg Sod, 17 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 13 g Prot, 57 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 4.
chicken pot pies with cornbread crust
Serves 6
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
½ pound carrots, cut into ½-inch slices
½ pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch slices
¾ pound green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
¼ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 large egg
1½ tablespoons canola oil
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray six (2-cup) ramekins or baking dishes with nonstick spray.
2 To make filling, combine broth and thyme in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Add carrots, turnips, and celery; reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Add green beans and onions; simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to bowl and reserve.
3 Whisk ¼ cup flour into broth mixture until blended and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in reserved vegetables, chicken, sour cream, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spoon filling into ramekins.
4 To make topping, whisk together cornmeal, remaining ½ cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and oil in small bowl until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring to make a smooth batter. Spoon batter evenly over filling. Place pot pies on baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 25 minutes.
PER SERVING (1 pot pie): 408 Cal, 10 g Total Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 98 mg Chol, 913 mg Sod, 49 g Carb, 6 g Fib, 31 g Prot, 204 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 10.
Chicken Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust
cuban chicken picadillo
Serves 6
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground skinless chicken breast
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
6 pimiento-stuffed green olives, thinly sliced
1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
¼ cup golden raisins
1 Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic; cook, breaking up chicken with wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add bell peppers, chili powder, and cinnamon; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2 Add olives, tomatoes, and raisins to skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
PER SERVING (⅔ cup): 169 Cal, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 47 mg Chol, 224 mg Sod, 13 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 19 g Prot, 48 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 4.
cook’s note
Serve the picadillo with tortillas (a medium-size flour tortilla for each serving will increase the PointsPlus value by 2).
roasted turkey breast with herbed gravy
Serves 10
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (4½-pound) turkey breast with ribs
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large roasting pan with nonstick spray.
2 Stir together 2 tablespoons sage, 1 tablespoon thyme, butter, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Loosen skin around turkey breast by running your fingers between skin and meat, starting at tips of breast halves. Once skin is loosened, spread herb mixture under skin and pat skin back in place.
3 Place turkey breast in pan. Pour 1½ cups of broth into pan. Roast turkey until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 165°F, about 2 hours. Transfer turkey breast to cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let stand 10 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, to make gravy, pour pan juices into measuring cup and skim off any fat; return juices to pan. Whisk remaining 2½ cups broth and flour in small bowl until smooth; add to roasting pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon thyme to pan. Set pan over two burners over medium-high heat; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy has reduced to 2 cups, about 3 minutes.
5 Discard ribs and skin from turkey breast. Cut turkey into 20 slices and serve with gravy.
PER SERVING (2 slices turkey and about 3 tablespoons gravy): 195 Cal, 3 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 108 mg Chol, 536 mg Sod, 2 g Carb, 0 g Fib, 39 g Prot, 31 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 5.
honey-brined turkey with homemade gravy
Serves 12, plus leftovers
1 cup honey
¾ cup kosher salt
5 bay leaves
8 cups boiling water
1 (12-pound) turkey, giblets reserved for another use
Pear and Sage Stuffing (optional)
2 teaspoons canola oil
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Combine honey, kosher salt, bay leaves, and boiling water in large stockpot and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature; add turkey and enough cold water to just cover turkey. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
2 Place oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold running water, and place on rack in roasting pan. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under bird. Spoon stuffing (if using) into cavity of turkey, filling it no more than two-thirds full. Tie turkey legs together with kitchen string. Rub skin with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour ¾ cup broth into bottom of pan; roast turkey 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, about 2 hours longer. (During last 30 minutes of cooking, bake any leftover stuffing in baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray alongside turkey.) Transfer turkey to platter and let stand 30 minutes.
3 To make gravy, pour drippings and juices from roasting pan into fat separator or glass measuring cup. Spoon 1½ tablespoons of fat into small saucepan; discard remaining fat. Place saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup broth to pan juices to yield 1½ cups total; whisk broth mixture into flour mixture. Cook, whisking often, until gravy is thickened, 4–5 minutes.
4 Discard turkey skin; carve breast and thigh meat into 24 slices; save drumsticks and wings for another use. Serve turkey slices with gravy and stuffing.
PER SERVING (2 slices turkey without skin and 2 tablespoons gravy): 194 Cal, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 114 mg Chol, 484 mg Sod, 2 g Carb, 0 g Fib, 34 g Prot, 26 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 4.
Honey–Brined Turkey with Homemade Gravy and Pear and Sage Stuffing