Posted on No Comments on Count the Ways: Rotisserie Chicken

Count the Ways: Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

Our holiday break has ended. It was one for the books. We took a family trip to Disney World with the kids’ Nana and PawPaw, watched so many Christmas movies by the twinkling lights of the tree, took D to see The Grinch (his first movie in theaters), and in general, tried to cram as much holiday fun into the month as possible.

It’s the second week back at school for my little guy (preschool) and the hubby (professor). Things are off to a great start. D loves his teachers and was so excited to see his school friends again…and slide down the playground slide as many times as humanly possible each day. I recently read the Magic Art of Tidying Up and am in full-on purge, declutter and organize mode. I’ve been trying to take on one organization project a day, be it a single drawer or the whole pantry. As long as we’re moving forward and making progress, I’m happy and calling it a win.

Everything is back in motion and the family is trying to settle into this semester’s routine. It’s now just me and baby girl at home during the days again. She’s one and a half now, and at some point, I know that I will need to stop calling her my baby, but I’m going to hold out as long as I can. I am loving the chance to have some sweet one on one time with her again, but I can already tell that it’s going to be challenging to juggle mommy duties, my part-time remote job, Moore Cookin, and keeping the house in order. Going to take things one day at a time, while stepping up my meal planning and home organization game stat.

One of my best not-so-secret tricks for simplifying weeknight dinners that I plan to take advantage of is to utilize the Costco rotisserie chicken to the fullest. Really, any grocery store rotisserie chicken will do the job, but Costco’s $5 rotisserie chicken just can’t be beat for the price.

Here are just a few ways that we like to use rotisserie chicken:

Lunch/Lighter Meals

  • Lettuce Wraps
  • Greek or Chicken Caesar Pita Wraps
  • Ciabatta Sandwiches
  • Chicken Pesto Panini
  • Quesadillas

Enchiladas & Tex Mex

Rice Bowls

  • Chicken Fried Rice or Stir-Fry
  • Chicken Burrito Bowls
  • Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Rice Casserole

Pasta

  • Chicken Alfredo Pasta
  • Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken
  • Risotto

Soup

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
  • Chicken Noodle Soup

With endless possibilities, I’m sure that I’ll be coming back to update this list, so be sure to check back! And let me know in the comments what your favorite recipes using rotisserie chicken are.

Posted on No Comments on Symphony Brownies

Symphony Brownies

Symphony Brownies

Over the past few months I have come across this brownie recipe at least a dozen times. Instagrammers (is that a word?), food bloggers I’ve followed for years, and a few friends all seem to have fallen in love with “Symphony Brownies”. I honestly don’t even know if you can count such a simple addition to box brownies as a “recipe”, but after trying them for ourselves, it is definitely a tip worth sharing.

I don’t think that I’ve ever even tried a Hershey’s Symphony bar before. Have you? They are large milk chocolate bars with almonds and toffee pieces. It actually took trips to several grocery stores to even find them. The treasure hunt was totally worth it though, because these were awesome!

Practically perfect in every way…down to their ooey gooey chocolatey core. You’ve got to give these a try and see what all of the hype is about.    If you do, leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of Ghiradelli Brownies
  • Ingredients called for on brownie mix box (typically water, oil, and egg)
  • 1 large Hershey Symphony chocolate bar (I used the one with blue writing on the label, but I’m not sure that it matters.)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven according to brownie mix box specifications.
  2. Prepare brownie batter according to directions on box.
  3. Pour half of brownie batter into an 8×8 pan that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Break Symphony chocolate bar into pieces and gently lay on top of batter.
  5. Pour remaining batter over chocolate bar layer and spread with spatula until top layer is smooth.
  6. Bake according to package directions. Keep in mind that these may need an additiona 5 minutes or so of bake time.
  7. Prepare for ooey gooey chocolatey deliciousness!
Posted on No Comments on Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

 

Chicken Pot Pie

This is our absolute favorite Chicken Pot Pie recipe and the only one that we make now. It’s the perfect dish for a cozy night at home during the Fall and Winter months, and a great way to use up the last of a storebought rotisserie chicken (Aren’t those just the best?). Using a prepared pie crust from the store makes this recipe super quick and easy to throw together, without compromising on the flavors of one of our all-time favorite comfort foods.

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion (I sub for 1/4 tsp onion powder due to an onion allergy)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I love to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe to keep things quick and easy)
  • 1 (8-10 oz) bag of frozen mixed veggies (perfect because they are precut for you)
  • 1 package prepared pie crust (Make sure it includes 2 crusts. I typically buy Pillsbury brand pie crust for this recipe.)
  • 2-3 Tbs milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees  F.
  2. Lightly spray a deep pie dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lay one of the prepared pie crusts in the dish, pressing down around the base and edges of the pie plate.
  3. In medium-sized pot, heat butter until melted.
  4. Add in flour, onions, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Cook until smooth and bubbly.
  5. Slowly stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling and boil for 1 minute until mixture thickens.
  6. Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and veggies.
  7. Pour into prepared pie crust.
  8. Top with second pie crust. Cut several small slits into top crust dough to release heat as it cooks.
  9. Lightly brush a little of the milk over the top of crust to keep it from browning too much while baking.
  10. Bake for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden brown.