The best part of a rotisserie chicken? The California Bowl.

PLUS a delicious Freezer Soup, and everything you should be hoarding in your freezer

There are a million ways to use a rotisserie chicken. There are a million opinions about which grocery store rotisserie is the best. Infatuation LA claims that Bristol Farms makes the best of all the grocery store rotisserie chickens, and I have to agree. The skin is actually flavorful and a little crispy. The meat itself is pull-apart tender. It could be cheaper, but for $13 a bird, it goes a hell of a long way. I average one a week, and here’s my routine, starting with our favorite healthy weeknight dinner:

Step 1: The California Bowl

I typically wrap up work at 3:00, then I prep my veggies. I chop, oil, and season some sweet potatoes and pop them in a big baggie in the fridge. I wash and dry whatever other veggie I’m going to cook. I try to use leftover veggies that have already been roasted, or something like asparagus that responds well to a high heat sear — the name of the game is QUICK AND EASY. Then, I head to the gym and plan to pick up the treasured rotisserie en route home since a) I want it to be warm for dinner that night and b) I do my general grocery shopping elsewhere, so it’s a quick pit stop. I let Katie know when I’m on way home so she can dump the prepped sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and get them in a 425 degree oven. By the time I get home, the sweet potatoes are done and the rest of the dish comes together easily.

Ingredients:

Rotisserie Chicken

Veggie #1 (usually asparagus or broccoli)

Veggie #2 (usually roasted sweet potato or leftover cabbage)

Swoosh of hummus underneath (I usually have a little bit of easy homemade hummus in the fridge)

Lemon wedge

Optional: Add avocado, freezer rice, drizzle of tahini sauce, and/or sizzle or chili oil

Step 2: Hoard Some Leftovers

After dinner, I’ll shred the rest of the chicken. 3/4 goes in the fridge: I know we’ll use it for lunch or dinner the next day. 1/4 goes into a little baggie and goes straight into the freezer. You never know when we might need it for, say… High Protein Hot Dish.

Step 3: Keep That Carcass!

If you don’t keep the leftover bones, I will. Just kidding. But really, you should just throw it in a big baggie and freeze it. I make a big batch of bone broth from the these carcasses as soon as I have two in the freezer:

• Cover two carcasses with water until fully submerged (you CAN use just one, but I think it’s a better outcome with two).

• Simmer for 12 hours, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the top.

• Add veggie scraps (also stored up in the freezer) halfway through cooking.

• Season with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar and Kosher Salt at the end.

• Strain and divide into Souper Cubes for easy portions. Freeze.

• Pop bone broth bricks out of their Souper Cube molds once fully frozen and store in gallon ziplocks in the freezer.

Freezer Hoarding

When the fridge ingredients start to dwindle, when all the Goodles are gone, there’s one hero that saves the day: my freezer. Aside from the usual proteins that might be hiding in the back (a piece of cod or some chicken thighs), I keep a lot of little things that can bring dinner from a 6 to 10. It’s taken a little while to build the goods that open this world of possibilities, so bookmark this now! Your future self will be grateful. Aside from the aforementioned chicken carcasses and portioned bone broth bricks, here’s everything else you should keep stocked in your freezer that you might not already have stocked in your freezer:

Parmesan Rinds: I sometimes use these in my bone broth and soup stocks, but ESPECIALLY in my beans.

Chopped Green Onions: Anytime I have extra, I pop them in my green onion baggie in the freezer for a future salad topper, guac ingredient, or soup garnish. They defrost practically instantly.

Tomato Paste: Who uses the whole can? Not me! I keep the leftovers using this portioned baggie trick and pop it into pasta sauces, chilies, and braises.

Chipotle Chilies in Adobo: Same process as tomato paste.

Cooked Rice: I store single portions in baggies and microwave for 2 min under a damp paper towel as needed.

Hard Cheeses: Cheese isn’t getting any cheaper! I usually get my sharp cheddar and parmesan from Costco, portion it, and freeze it. Move the portions into the fridge as needed. This also works for shredded cheese.

Slices of Cake: Because you don’t throw away great cake.

Broccoli: It’s such an easy add on!!! I usually cook it dry in a pan to release the water inside and brown the outside.

So now that you’ve got a stocked freezer, you can make a super quick…

Freezer Soup

Ingredients:

Frozen rotisserie

1 block frozen bone broth

1 baggie shredded frozen chicken

1 cup frozen broccoli

1/2 cup instant farro

1 can coconut milk

Diced shallot

Grated ginger

Grated garlic

Splash of apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp ground curry powder

1 tsp ground turmeric powder

Black pepper

Kosher salt

• Heat pot over medium heat. Sautee shallot until softened. Add ginger and garlic. Cook until color starts to develop at the bottom. Add curry powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper to bloom the spices, about 40 seconds.

• Deglaze with a splash of apple cider vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the browned bits. Add coconut milk and stir to combine.

• Turn heat to med/low. Add frozen bone broth, broccoli, and chicken, and farro. Cover and simmer until well combined and heated through, at least 10-15 minutes.

• Serve with lime wedge and chili oil.

I hope this week’s newsletter helps you appreciate your freezer as much as I appreciate mine. Happy cooking!

xx,

Mary