16 High-Protein Dinners with Rotisserie Chicken
Photographer: Jen Causey
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Be sure to pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way out of the grocery store so you can make one of these flavorful dinners. From chopped salad to saucy enchiladas, this roundup features the convenient protein in meals you’re sure to love. Each dish offers at least 15 grams per serving to help with feeling full for longer, healthy digestion and muscle recovery. Roast up a pan of our Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake for a robust weeknight dinner. Or, make our Sheet-Pan Crispy Chicken Tacos dipped in a refreshing avocado cilantro crema.
Chopped Power Salad with Chicken
Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss
This creamy and flavorful fall pasta bake comes together quickly, thanks to rotisserie chicken and jarred sun-dried tomatoes that flavor the sauce. This easy pasta bake is perfect for feeding a crowd. If you’re watching your sodium, you can cook and shred your own chicken in place of the rotisserie chicken.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Lydia Pursell
This creamy chicken noodle soup recipe has a delicious potpie feel to it. We call for rotisserie chicken to streamline your prep time—look for a nice big one with lots of breast meat on it. Pair this comforting soup with a green salad.
Sheet-Pan Crispy Chicken Tacos
Photographer: Jen Causey
These crispy chicken tacos are filled and baked on a sheet pan for a super-crunchy exterior and warm, melty middle. The creamy avocado crema combined with fresh cilantro is the perfect accompaniment. Don’t be tempted to squeeze the tacos onto one baking sheet—they crisp up best with plenty of space. Be sure to rotate the pans halfway through baking so they cook evenly.
Agrodolce Zucchini & Chicken Pasta
Ali Redmond
Replacing some of the pasta with spiralized zucchini allows for a totally twirlable dish with all the pleasure of noodles. The light lemony sauce and savory shredded chicken are comfort food at its finest, and a sweet-and-sour topping provides crunch, chew, herbal brightness and a palate awakener.
Creamy Lemon-Dill Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Casserole
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Imagine this simple recipe as the casserole version of classic chicken noodle soup! The key to enhancing the flavor is using high-quality broth or homemade chicken stock. Don’t overlook the step of slightly undercooking the noodles—it guarantees they maintain the perfect texture after baking. While we enjoy the fresh, grassy notes of dill, feel free to use parsley or chives as equally delicious alternatives.
Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
In this easy chicken enchiladas recipe, we make a white sauce from chicken broth and sour cream that coats corn tortillas rolled up with shredded chicken, onion, peppers and spices. Poblano peppers tend to be mild, but if you really want to cut the heat, use a green bell pepper instead.
Creamy Rotisserie Chicken & Spinach Pasta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This creamy rotisserie chicken pasta recipe uses Gruyère cheese and cream cheese as the base for the velvety sauce. Gruyère adds a rich and nutty flavor, although you can experiment with alternatives like Cheddar or Swiss cheese. We love the ease of using baby spinach, but feel free to swap it out for another leafy green like kale or Swiss chard if you have them on hand.
One-Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta
This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta recipe makes for an easy weeknight dinner. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time when cooking, and leftover chicken would work just as well.
Peanut Zucchini Noodle Salad with Chicken
You'll end up with more peanut sauce than you need in this zucchini noodle recipe, and that's a good thing! It makes a great dip or stir-fry sauce.
High-Protein Tex-Mex Chicken Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Make this grab-and-go Tex-Mex–inspired soup when you have leftover chicken, or use rotisserie chicken for this easy meal-prep soup. The frozen pepper-onion mix adds flavor and saves time in the kitchen, while the black beans add fiber and protein. Combine everything but the broth ahead of time, then add it and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. If you don’t wish to travel with liquid broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water.
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Photographer: Jen Causey
In this easy lemon chicken pasta recipe, we love the combination of lemon zest and toasted breadcrumbs. This healthy dinner is made with rotisserie chicken, quick-cooking spiralized zucchini and baby zucchini, so you get a complete meal in just 10 minutes.
Lemony Chicken Soup
This 20-minute dish provides 32g of protein and is just 261 calories per serving. To ensure this comforting soup's velvety texture, whisk a little of the hot broth into the eggs before adding them to the pot; it cooks them gently and prevents curdling.
Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Prepare this dish the night ahead of time so all you have to do is pop it in the oven for an easy and delicious dinner.
Chicken Tagine
This quick version of a traditional recipe can be made in about 30 minutes using a beloved kitchen hack: shredded rotisserie chicken! The shredded meat simmers briefly in a flavor-packed base that is rich with garlic and spices, sweetened with dates, and tangy from olives and preserved lemons. The addition of lentils and garbanzo beans makes this a hearty one-pot supper, though you can serve it with rice, couscous, or pita bread.
Taco Pasta Salad
This taco pasta salad recipe has all our favorite taco fillings dressed in a creamy salsa dressing. We like how fresh avocado, tomatoes and onion brighten this pasta dish, but feel free to add your favorite taco toppings--corn, black beans or jalapeños just to name a few--to give it your own spin.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
