One five-dollar Costco rotisserie chicken can quietly carry your family through six different weeknight dinners.
Here is how to stretch that golden chicken into a full week of meals that never feel like leftovers.
A quick note before we start: pull all the meat off the chicken the day you bring it home.
You will get roughly 4 cups of shredded and chopped meat, plus the carcass for broth.
Store the meat in the fridge and portion it out across the recipes below.
1. Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
This is the cozy, spoon-warming bowl you want on a busy Monday.
It comes together in about 30 minutes and tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then.
You are looking for the onion to turn soft and see-through and the vegetables to smell sweet, which tells you they have softened without browning.
Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, just until it smells fragrant.
Garlic burns fast, so keep it moving and do not walk away.
Pour in the chicken broth and turn the heat up to bring it to a gentle boil, where you see steady small bubbles breaking the surface.
Stir in the rice, then lower the heat so the soup simmers softly.
Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and no longer has a hard bite in the center.
Stir in the shredded chicken and the heavy cream.
Let everything warm through for 3 to 4 minutes without boiling hard, since a rolling boil can make the cream look grainy.
Taste and add salt and pepper until the flavor pops.
Finish with a shower of fresh parsley.
2. Chicken Quesadillas
Crispy on the outside, melty in the middle, and ready faster than delivery.
These are a guaranteed win with picky eaters.
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup diced green chiles or salsa
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- Sour cream and salsa, for serving
Instructions
In a bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the cumin and the green chiles or salsa so the meat is evenly seasoned.
This little step keeps every bite flavorful instead of bland in the middle.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a small pat of butter or a drizzle of oil.
Lay one tortilla in the pan.
Sprinkle half of one tortilla with cheese, then chicken, then black beans,
Then a little more cheese, and fold the empty half over the top.
The cheese on both the bottom and top acts like glue and holds the quesadilla together.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is golden brown and crisp,
Then carefully flip with a spatula and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
The quesadilla is ready when both sides are deep golden and the cheese is fully melted and stretchy inside.
Slide it onto a cutting board and let it rest for 1 minute before slicing, which keeps the filling from sliding out.
Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.
3. Chicken Caesar Wraps
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas or wraps
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup Caesar dressing
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup croutons, lightly crushed
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, chicken, parmesan, and crushed croutons.
Pour the Caesar dressing over the top and toss until everything is lightly and evenly coated.
Crush the croutons a little first so they tuck into the wrap without poking holes in the tortilla.
Lay a tortilla flat and pile about a quarter of the salad mixture down the center, leaving a couple of inches bare at the bottom.
Do not overfill, or the wrap will burst when you roll it.
Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then fold in the two sides, and roll it away from you into a tight cylinder, the same way you would roll a burrito.
The bottom fold keeps the filling from falling out the end.
Slice each wrap in half on a diagonal and finish with a crack of black pepper.
Serve right away while the lettuce is still crisp.
4. BQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas
Sweet, smoky, and ready in the time it takes to preheat the oven.
These flatbreads make an ordinary Tuesday feel a little special.
Ingredients
- 2 store-bought flatbreads or naan
- 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for drizzling
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place the flatbreads on a baking sheet.
In a bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the barbecue sauce until the meat is coated and glossy.
Spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce over each flatbread, leaving a small border around the edge.
Scatter the mozzarella over the sauce,
Then top with the barbecue chicken and the thin slices of red onion.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
The flatbreads are done when the cheese is fully melted and bubbling, and the edges of the bread are crisp and golden brown.
Keep an eye on them near the end, since thin flatbreads can go from golden to too dark quickly.
Pull them out and let them cool for 2 minutes so the cheese sets enough to slice cleanly.
Drizzle with a little more barbecue sauce, scatter fresh cilantro over the top, and cut into squares or wedges.
5. Chicken Fried Rice
The takeout favorite you can make at home for a fraction of the price.
Cold, day-old rice is the secret to those perfect separate grains.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups cold cooked rice
- 1 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Pour in the beaten eggs and let them sit for a few seconds, then scramble them into soft curds.
Scoop the eggs out onto a plate and set aside so they do not overcook.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan.
Add the onion and the frozen peas and carrots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion softens and the vegetables are heated through.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the cold rice and press it into the pan, breaking up any clumps with your spatula.
Let it sit undisturbed for about a minute at a time between stirs.
This gives some grains a chance to toast and turn slightly crisp, which is what gives fried rice its signature texture.
Add the chopped chicken, soy sauce, and sesame oil and toss everything together for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through and evenly coated.
Return the eggs to the pan, add the green onions, and give it one final toss.
The dish is ready when everything is glossy, hot, and smells toasty.
6. Chicken Tortilla Soup
We finish the week by turning that leftover carcass into something special.
This soup is bright, a little smoky, and loaded with cozy toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth (or homemade from the carcass)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups remaining shredded chicken
- Juice of 1 lime
- Tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro, for topping
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and stir for about 1 minute,
Until the spices smell warm and fragrant.
Toasting the spices this way wakes up their flavor before the liquid goes in.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken broth and stir to combine.
Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Add the black beans, corn, and shredded chicken.
Let the soup simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors have time to blend and the broth reduces slightly and deepens in color.
Stir occasionally to keep anything from sticking to the bottom.
Turn off the heat and squeeze in the fresh lime juice, which brightens the whole pot.
Taste and adjust the salt.
Ladle into bowls and pile on the tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and cilantro.
Ingredient Swaps
Swap heavy cream for half-and-half or whole milk in the soup for a lighter version, or use coconut milk to keep it dairy-free.
Use corn or gluten-free tortillas in place of flour tortillas for the quesadillas and wraps.
Any melting cheese works in the quesadillas and flatbreads.
Try pepper jack for heat or a mozzarella blend for extra stretch.
Brown rice or cauliflower rice can stand in for white rice in the fried rice, though the texture will be a little softer.
No barbecue sauce on hand?
Mix ketchup with a splash of soy sauce, a little brown sugar, and a pinch of smoked paprika.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the soups with warm crusty bread or a simple green salad to round out the meal.
Add a side of tortilla chips and guacamole to the quesadillas and tortilla soup for a fun family-style spread.
Serve the fried rice alongside steamed edamame or quick cucumber slices tossed in rice vinegar.
Turn the Caesar wraps into a lunchbox meal with a piece of fruit and a handful of pretzels.
Storage Tips
Store shredded rotisserie chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
The soups keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and freeze beautifully.
Add a splash of broth when reheating, as they thicken over time.
Assembled quesadillas and flatbreads are best fresh but reheat well in a skillet or oven to bring back the crisp.
Store the fried rice in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat in a hot skillet with a touch of oil.
Keep Caesar wrap filling and tortillas separate until ready to eat so the wrap stays crisp.