OK, I can’t really feed my family for a whole week for $5.99. But oh the disposable income I would have if I could! I’ll work on that …

I want to share one of my favorite meal-time mommy hacks: the rotisserie chicken. No matter where you live, there is a grocery store near you that sells rotisserie chickens. They are delicious, and they have so many uses!

My local Smart & Final is my rotisserie go-to. They’re only $5.99, and they’re always available.

I know, you can already smell the deliciousness. I buy one of these beauties about once a week. I bring it home, let it cool for a couple hours on the counter, then I spend about 10 minutes and I pull the whole thing apart with my fingers and put the pieces in a Ziploc. I peel the skin off, as it doesn’t taste as good cold, and it served its purpose during cooking, making the meat nice and juicy and tasty. (Neat tip: Fold the edges of your Ziploc down while you’re filling it up. Then when you’re done, fold them back up, and your zipper and the top of the bag have avoided getting greasy. Thanks, Mom!)

I get more than a pound and a half of already-cooked, goes-with-everything, delectable meat.

And then, the best part … I put it in everything. The kids eat it straight, like chicken nuggets … only this is actual chicken. I put it in stir-fries, casseroles, salads of all kinds. I eat it straight from the bag for a quick protein pick-me-up in the middle of the day. The possibilities are endless!

Buying an already-cooked full chicken is a great time saver. It also solves the last-minute “what are we going to eat?!” I am a fairly good meal planner, but there are still days when the plan falls through, or there’s nothing left for lunch, or I was planning on leftovers and my husband took them to work … We eat the chicken!

You’re welcome.