The rotisserie chicken controversy

 

My photo of Grandma's chicken casserole

It tastes good. It’s quick and easy to use. It holds together in casseroles, which is a big plus to me. So what’s not love about rotisseries chicken? Start with the nitrates and nitrites and other preservatives that are in it. Then add the oils and butter that make it so tasteful but also add to the fat content. So what’s a cook to do? One trick is to be sure to skin the chicken and discard the skin. Beyond that, you’re thrown back to cooking the chicken at home yourself.

So maybe you have time to cook the chicken before you make that casserole. The obvious method is to boil it—I’ve seen too many recipes that begin with, “Boil an old hen.” Truth is boiling makes chicken tough. The new method is to poach it—a much gentler method of cooking. Some recipes say put the chicken in cold water and gradually increase the temperature to a simmer. Cook until internal temperature is 155^o.(This presumes you are using chicken breasts). The alternate poaching method calls for bringing the water just to a boil and then quickly putting a lid on the pot, remove it from the heat, and let sit at least 20 minutes. As in the other method, the internal temperature should be 155^o.

But, boiled or poached, chicken cooked in water is bland. To me, even the pale color is unappealing. You can season it yourself by adding carrots, onion, peppercorns, etc. to the poaching water. Or you can marinate the chicken first (some stores, like Central Market, sell pre-marinated chicken breasts but by using them you run into the problem of possible preservatives). You can grill or roast or pan fry the chicken. One method I like is to season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper, lay onion slices on them, and put in a covered pan with at least an inch of water. Then bake at 350^o for half an hour.

It's up to you: which is more important, flavorful chicken or healthy chicken? I go back and forth, use rotisserie chicken about half the time. And then the next question is what are you going to do with that cooked chicken? Here are a couple of casseroles I really like:

Grandma’s chicken casserole

3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about two sleeves)

Arrange chicken in a greased 9 x13 pan; spoon soup over it and smooth out as evenly as possible; top with grated cheese and finish with Ritz crackers.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Do not let crackers burn. Let cool and collect itself 10 minutes before serving.

Baked chicken salad casserole

2 c. chopped chicken (about 5 breast halves)

3 hard-boiled eggs, grated or sliced (your choice)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

½ Tbsp. lemon juice

¾ c. mayonnaise

2 tsp. salt

2 c. chopped celery

½ tsp. pepper

4 tsp. onion, minced very fine

Crushed potato chips

Layer chicken and eggs in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Mix everything else together and pour soup mixture over. Top with crushed potato chips. Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes or until hot.

These are nice, light casseroles, good for summer evenings. Serve with a green vegetable or salad.

Enjoy!