Chicken
$1.35per plate
Prep
15 min
Chicken · Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken, 3 Dinners from One Bird
One store rotisserie chicken is the best deal in the building. For about seven dollars it gives you three to three and a half cups of cooked meat, plus a carcass that makes real broth for free. This is not one recipe, it is a three night plan: chicken tacos, chicken noodle soup, and a cheesy chicken and rice casserole. Bulked out with beans, noodles, rice, and a little cheese, that single bird feeds a family of four for three dinners. The times below are for one dinner, since you cook them on separate nights.
$1.17per plate
Estimated recipe total
$14.08 · serves 12
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
12
1 How to make it
1
Break down the bird first
As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull all the meat off and shred it. You should get 3 to 3.5 cups. Split it roughly into thirds, about a cup for each dinner, and refrigerate what you are not using that night. Drop the carcass and bones into a pot or a freezer bag; that is your free soup broth.
2
Dinner one, chicken tacos
Warm about a third of the shredded chicken in a skillet with a splash of water, a pinch of salt, and a little garlic powder. Warm the corn tortillas, then fill with chicken, drained beans, cheese, salsa, diced onion, and cilantro. This night uses the beans, tortillas, salsa, half the cheese, and part of the onion.
3
Dinner two, chicken noodle soup
If you saved the carcass, cover it with water and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, then strain; otherwise use bouillon and water. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery and simmer until soft, about 12 minutes. Stir in the egg noodles and cook until tender, then add the second third of the chicken just to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
4
Dinner three, cheesy chicken and rice casserole
Cook the rice. Whisk the milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until it thickens into a light sauce, then stir in the rest of the cheese until melted. Fold in the cooked rice, the frozen vegetables, and the last of the chicken. Spread in a baking dish and bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes, until bubbling at the edges.
5
Space them out
You do not have to cook all three the same week. Shredded chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or freeze the portions you will not use soon. The strained broth freezes well too, so soup night can happen whenever you want it.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Cook your own instead of buying the bird. A raw whole chicken is often cheaper per pound, but a rotisserie bird is already cooked and hard to beat on time. If a raw chicken is on sale, roast it and use it exactly the same way.
- Flour tortillas or rice for the corn tortillas. Use whatever is cheapest that week. A scoop of rice under the taco fillings turns dinner one into a bowl and stretches it further.
- Canned cream of chicken soup for the milk and flour sauce. A can works in the casserole if you keep them on hand. The milk and flour sauce is cheaper and lets you control the salt.
- Any frozen vegetable in the casserole. Peas, corn, green beans, or a mixed bag all work. Frozen is usually the cheapest vegetable and there is no waste.
3 Budget tips
- Buy the rotisserie chicken late in the day when many stores mark them down. A discounted bird drops the whole three night plan under a dollar a plate.
- Never throw out the carcass. Simmered with water and a little salt it makes better broth than a boxed carton, for free.
- Weigh the shredded meat into three equal portions before you start so no single dinner eats more than its share of the bird.
- Warehouse club rotisserie chickens are often the cheapest and largest. If you have access to one, it can push the per plate cost even lower.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate shredded chicken in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Keep each dinner's leftovers separately; the soup and casserole both hold well for about 4 days.
Freezer
Freeze extra shredded chicken in meal-size portions for up to 3 months. The strained broth freezes up to 6 months. The baked casserole freezes well; the soup is best frozen before you add the noodles so they do not go mushy.
Reheating
Reheat chicken and casserole in a covered dish in a 325 F oven or the microwave at half power with a splash of water so it does not dry out. Reheat soup gently on the stove; add a little water if it thickened in the fridge.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
340
Protein
26g
Fat
12g
Carbs
32g
Estimates per serving, averaged across the three dinners and calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
How much meat does one rotisserie chicken give you?
A typical bird yields about 3 to 3.5 cups of shredded meat, roughly a pound. Split into thirds that is about a cup per dinner, which is plenty once you bulk each meal with beans, noodles, or rice.
Do I have to make all three dinners in one week?
No. Shredded chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months, and the broth freezes too. Cook the tacos now and save soup and casserole night for later.
Is it cheaper to buy a rotisserie chicken or roast my own?
A raw whole chicken is often a little cheaper per pound, but the rotisserie bird is already cooked, which saves time and oven energy. On a busy week the rotisserie chicken usually wins on value once you count everything.
How does one bird come to $1.17 a plate?
A $7 rotisserie chicken plus pantry add-ons totals about $14 across three dinners, twelve servings in all. Split that way, each plate lands near a dollar.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
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