How a chef turns Costco's $5 rotisserie chicken into a week of easy meals at home

Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? . I'm a chef. I turned Costco's $5 rotisserie chicken into five easy meals for two people. The rotisserie chicken can be used to make tasty quesadillas, burrito bowls, and pasta dishes. I like adding the chicken to baked potatoes and using the bones to make a flavorful broth. Grocery prices have been feeling high, but one deal I can still count on is the big and juicy $5 rotisserie chicken at Costco. Although I'm a chef , I still appreciate a shortcut - and I know I can put together dozens of easy meals with cooked chicken. Here's how I turn a Costco five-buck-cluck into easy meals to feed two throughout the week. Chilled chicken-salad sandwiches are an easy lunch. The white meat from the Costco rotisserie chicken is easy to chop into cubes for a classic creamy chicken salad. I toss the meat with mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt and add any salty or crunchy bits I have in the fridge, such as diced pickles or pepperoncini, celery, or bell peppers. I also like to add something sweet, like sliced grapes or chopped dried fruit. Then, I serve the salad on toasted sandwich bread, crackers, or sturdy romaine-lettuce cups. The chicken can dress up a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. I'm still on the baked feta pasta trend from a few years ago. I prefer using a block of Lifeway Farmer soft cheese instead of feta because it's got a milder flavor and softer texture. Plus, it gets even meltier and creamier in the oven. After preheating my oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, I cook my cheese and fresh cherry tomatoes or whole canned tomatoes in a small baking dish. I leave them in the oven until the tomatoes burst and become sweet and saucy, and the cheese is just turning golden on top. Then, I toss in cooked pasta and my diced or shredded rotisserie chicken. I toss the chicken in salsa, then add it to burrito bowls. There's nothing like a build-your-own-bowl dinner for a low-lift meal that makes everyone happy. First, I'll make a batch of rice or another grain. If I'm short on time, I'll heat a packet of Somos Mexican street-corn rice in the microwave. Then, I toss diced rotisserie chicken in salsa to dress it up and lay out assorted toppings. Everyone can add their own beans, guacamole, cheese, veggies, and cilantro to their bowls for a Chipotle-style experience right at home. I also stuff baked potatoes with chicken. A loaded baked potato is super easy and cheap to make. I stick a potato (or sweet potato) in a 400-degree oven for 40 minutes to an hour until it's easy to pierce with a fork. If you're in a pinch, you can skip the oven and microwave the potato for a few minutes - just be sure to pierce it all over with a fork beforehand. Then I slice the potato down the...

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