Fit by the Fork: Need a cheap and easy meal? “Cluck” here for inspiration

I hope I’m not offending any vegetarians, but this week, it’s all about the poultry and protein.

I’m talking about rotisserie chicken.

I bet you’ve probably smelled them from two or three aisles away at Kroger or Walmart and you might have even salivated from just looking at the perfectly-seasoned, brown skin that shimmers under that clear plastic lid. It’s quite an experience, right? Well, it gets even better when you make rotisserie chicken a staple in your kitchen.

For starters; it’s super cheap—the average cost is $6 to $9 per bird. It’s also ready-to-eat (obviously), so it takes the time and the mess out of cooking the raw tenders, breasts, thighs or other portions of chicken you may purchase. But you know the best part about rotisserie chicken? You can do so many things with it. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Salads 

If you’re really lazy like me and you live off-campus, bagged lettuce is a godsend when there isn’t a magic salad bar at your fingertips (underclassmen, you do have advantages over us). Tear the chicken into pieces and boom; you have a salad that packs vitamins, minerals and protein.

2. Sandwiches

We could all use a break from lunch meat (which is often loaded with gross preservatives and weird chemicals), so switch up what’s between the bread. Rotisserie chicken tastes pretty great seasoned on its own, but feel free to get creative with condiments too — barbecue sauce is a game-changer.

3. Soups 

When was the last time you cracked open a can of chicken noodle soup and were satisfied with the amount of meat in it? Yeah, I can’t remember either. Honestly, just stock up on a bunch of soups that have chicken in them, and just go crazy with adding more in.

4. Pasta 

The other great thing about our poultry pal is it blends with basically every flavor of pasta out there. While pasta is great on its own, the amino acids in the chicken slow down digestion time (cheers for feeling fuller longer).

5. Pizza 

Perhaps it’s a tad more uncommon than pepperoni, but don’t knock it until you try it. Really.

One last tip: to get all the good stuff off the carcass, be sure to flip the chicken upside down, because that area is often overlooked on its way to the trash.

Bon appétit, Bobcats!

Emily McIntyre is a senior studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Would you put rotisserie chicken on your pizza? Let her know by emailing her at em564912@ohio.edu.