Shhhh!!! I'm an experienced cook with a secret. I regularly pick up rotisserie chickens at Costco in Durham and turn them into flavorful meals.
This gimmick shaves prep time in half for dishes that call for shredded poultry, such as barbecue chicken sandwiches, chicken noodle casserole, various chicken soups, chicken pot pie, a wide range of chicken stir-fry dishes, paella, chicken and pasta combinations, chicken salad...the list is almost endless.
In her new cookbook, "Dinner Just for Two," Christina Lane subscribes to at least part of my ploy. She provides a recipe for roasted chicken rather than suggesting its purchase, as I did, but she does instruct readers to "make a big batch of something and use it in several meals throughout the week."
The chapter "Cook Once, Eat Twice" advises taking one roasted chicken and creating Barbecue Chicken Cornbread Casserole, Engagement Chicken Pasta, Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad and Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. Recipes for the last two follow.
Dinner Just for Two
By Christina Lane
Southwestern Chicken
Cobb Salad
I can't decide which way I prefer to serve this salad: it's so pretty layered on a large serving platter, but honestly, it's usually only the two of us eating it on the couch in two big bowls. There's no need for fancy presentation if we're just catching up on our favorite TV shows!
For the Salad
1/2 bag romaine salad mix
1 cooked chicken breast, sliced or shredded
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup black beans, rinsed
4 slices bacon, cooked
2 eggs, hard-boiled
1 cup store-bought pico de gallo
1 ripe avocado, sliced
For the Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Scatter the salad mix on a large platter. Arrange all the other ingredients in a row (or just toss everything into a bowl and mix as you go).
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing on the salad and stir to combine.
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
1 cup leftover beans
One 4-ounce can mild diced green chiles
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup jarred tomatillo salsa (it's green!)
2 cups shredded pepper Jack
4 flour tortillas
Pico de gallo, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, beans and green chiles. Stir to coat.
Next, whisk together the sour cream and tomatillo salsa. Set it aside.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the sour cream mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish and spread it to coat the bottom of the dish.
Taking one tortilla at a time, scoop one-quarter of the chicken mixture into the lower third of the tortilla and top with a handful of shredded cheese. Roll up the tortilla tightly. Place the enchilada seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with the remaining three tortillas.
Pour the remaining sour cream mixture on top of the enchiladas in the pan and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melting and bubbling.
Serve with pico de gallo.