Rotisserie Chicken Is the New Sliced Bread
by Stacy Schultz
My great-grandmother, Arizona Henry, had a favorite saying: “That’s as good as sliced bread.” As a little girl, I never understood what was so special about bread that someone else had sliced. Now I think I understand what Grandma meant 50 years ago.
Between working full-time at Valley Health War Memorial Hospital, completing my mental health counseling internship at Bloom, and keeping up with college assignments, my days fill up quickly. Add being Nan Nan to a precious little girl, and my priorities become even clearer. I want to spend time making memories with her, and that leaves fewer hours for making dinner.
I still want to eat healthy. Staying active and preparing nourishing meals are priorities, but both require a little creativity when life gets busy. Some evenings, the hardest part of cooking is deciding what to make when I am already tired and hungry. Having cooked chicken waiting in the refrigerator makes that decision much easier.
That is why a rotisserie chicken has become one of my favorite grocery store purchases, and I believe it is the new sliced bread. Someone else has seasoned it, cooked it, and cleaned up the roasting pan. I bring it home and start turning it into meals.
Suddenly, sliced bread has some competition.
Grandma’s expression has a little history. Otto Frederick Rohwedder’s bread-slicing machine went into commercial use in 1928 in Chillicothe, Missouri. By the 1930s, pre-sliced bread had become widely available. For families accustomed to slicing every loaf by hand, the convenience was something to celebrate. I imagine many busy cooks felt the same relief I feel when I lift a warm chicken from the grocery store display case.
Grandma lived through the Great Depression, and wasting food was never part of her kitchen routine. She knew how to stretch what she had and make another meal out of something others might throw away. I suspect she would raise an eyebrow at my buying an already-cooked chicken. Once she saw me saving the bones, though, I think she would pull up a chair and offer some instructions.
First, I remove the meat from the bones. I divide it into portions so it is ready for whatever the week brings. Some might become chicken salad for lunch. Another portion can go into vegetable soup, quesadillas, or a quick skillet meal with frozen vegetables and brown rice. A handful of shredded chicken can turn a simple green salad into a satisfying meal.
Then comes the part Grandma would appreciate most: making stock.
I put the bones in a pot, add enough water to cover them, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. After about two hours, I strain the stock and discard the bones.
Homemade stock is way better than store-bought, mostly water broth. It adds flavor to soups, gravies, rice, and other dishes. For storage, I divide the stock into shallow containers and refrigerate it promptly. Once chilled, it can be transferred to freezer-safe containers or bags in useful portions. A date on the container saves me from trying to remember when I made it.
Of course, one of those portions of chicken sometimes becomes something warm, cheesy, and a little spicy. Buffalo chicken dip is easy to share, and rotisserie chicken cuts out much of the prep.
Chicken provides high-quality protein that helps maintain muscle, repair tissues, and keep you satisfied after a meal. It also supplies B vitamins that help the body use energy from food, along with selenium, zinc, and phosphorus. Rotisserie chicken offers these benefits with less prep, though its sodium content varies with the seasoning. Removing the skin reduces the fat, and checking the label can help you choose a lower-sodium option.
I think Grandma Arizona would understand. She might even say, “That’s as good as sliced bread.”
Buffalo Rotisserie Chicken Dip
Adapted from Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Ingredients
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
½ cup dry ranch seasoning
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a cast iron skillet, stir the cream cheese, hot sauce, and dry ranch seasoning over medium-low heat until smooth. Add the shredded chicken and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese, mixing well. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling and heated to 165°F in the center. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with an additional ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve warm with celery sticks, bell pepper strips, tortilla chips, or crackers.
Stacy Schultz is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, a former Morgan County Commissioner and is the author of “It’s Stacy’s Grandma ‘Zona’s recipes.” She has been in healthcare for 35 years at War Memorial Hospital.
The post It’s Stacy: Healthy Eats — Rotisserie chicken appeared first on Morgan Messenger.
