Happy New Year! Yes, I know that it’s likely you are reading this in some sort of heat wave, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but the new year is here. Fresh pencils and notebooks line the store shelves, fall sports practices are in full swing (often twice a day), and there is a hint, however subtle, that the seasons are changing. Autumn is technically still several weeks away, but fall schedules will be in full force in a matter of days. In the midst of the chaos, dinner is often a casualty, crowded out by the hustle and bustle of getting back in the groove of school, work and a myriad of additional activities. Soon, you’ll be on a first name basis with your favorite drive-thru worker.

With the right strategy, though, home-cooked(ish) meals are possible on even the craziest of nights. While I try to minimize my encounters with people who ask, “Would you like fries with that?” there is no shame in using shortcuts to get dinner on the table. One of my favorite (and most cost-effective) dinner hacks is a rotisserie chicken. Fresh from the store, a chicken is moist and succulent, needing just a vegetable and a butter-slathered piece of bread to feel complete. It truly is a way to get dinner on the table in about 10 minutes.

Of course, eating that chicken plain is only the beginning. Rotisserie chicken is tasty in all kinds of meals. One of my favorite trends of late are meals made right in the container of a rotisserie chicken (TikTok tends to favor Costco’s version, which comes in a bag). I recently pulled a chicken out of the bag and shredded it, then dumped the meat back in the bag with three cups of cooked rice, four sliced scallions, three tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and a drizzle of chili crisp. I stirred everything together (again, right in the bag) and served it up. Delish with a minimum of dishes. The same principle could be applied with cooked noodles and a jar of alfredo, or salad greens and dressing. One enterprising content creator has done a whole series on Costco bag chicken dinners, and many of them sound quite tasty (He lost me, though, when he did something with crunched up Flamin’ Hot Cheetos).

Those chickens are pretty good sized, so after my foray into the realm of rotisserie chicken hacks, I had some chicken left over. This time, I decided to use an actual pan instead of a bag, but the overall vibe was nearly as effortless otherwise. I made a simple filling of chicken, corn, a few different kinds of cheese, and a few other pantry ingredients, then folded the mixture into tortillas and baked it. The result was flavorful and satisfying. A simple green salad on the side made a complete meal that came together in just a little more time than it took to heat up the oven. If that’s more time than you have, though, don’t despair. This meal can be made up to 24 hours before you bake it, so on a night when you have a little more time, throw this baby together and tuck it into the fridge for use the next day.

Dinners that leave everyone feeling happy and nourished, even when schedules are punishing: I can’t think of a happier way to ring in the new year.

 

Make-ahead chicken tacos

If you like your tortillas a bit crispy, give them a light coating of spray oil before filling.

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 can fire-roasted corn
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 2 Tbsps taco seasoning
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Tajin seasoning
• Juice of one lime
• 12 “street taco” size tortillas (flour or corn)
• Cotija cheese and cilantro, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix chicken, corn, sour cream, all cheeses (except the cotija), taco seasoning, garlic powder, Tajin, green chiles and lime juice. Fill each tortilla with a generous scoop of the filling (1/4 to 1/3 cup), and place in a greased casserole dish. You may wish to use a small bowl or measuring cup to keep the first few tacos properly folded while you fill the dish. (If you are making these ahead, cover the dish with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap to bake.) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly browned. Garnish with cotija and cilantro, if desired.

 

Article and photo by Lisa Crockett