One Protein, Two Meals

We are all looking for ways to save time and money in the kitchen. This can feel like a real juggling act for parents when we try to make meals that are nutritious, that our children will eat, and that can be made pretty quickly, all while sticking to our budget.

The mental gymnastics it takes to do this week after week can lead us to throw up our hands up and order take-out that’s too expensive and not always healthy. But with a plan, we’re more likely to have success.

Even if you’re not great at meal planning, a boost of new money-saving and time-saving recipe ideas can be just what you need to get back on track.

One way to eliminate food waste and save money on ingredients is to think about how to make two or more meals out of one. The book Save-It-Forward Suppers by Cyndi Kane tackles this concept beautifully. You’ll also find tons of resourceful, repurposed dinner ideas online.

You may already be doing this type of cooking. You make a roast chicken one night and turn it into chicken noodle soup the next. Or yesterday’s fajita night becomes tomorrow’s taco salads. Here are some more ideas to inspire you.

Rotisserie Chicken

This may be the gold standard for getting more than one meal out of a main ingredient. Here we’re going to use it for chicken enchiladas one night and barbecue chicken pizza the next. Start by removing every bit of meat from the chicken, discarding the bones and skin.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups salsa verde or green chile enchilada sauce
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 ½ cups Monterey jack cheese
• 6 flour tortillas (about 8-inch round)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add salsa verde or green chile sauce. Cook until warmed through. Remove from heat and add sour cream and cilantro. Taste and add salt, pepper or ground cumin if desired. Remove 1 cup of sauce into a bowl to use later.
2. Stir chicken and half the cheese into the sauce in the sauté pan.
3. Spread ½ cup of the reserved sauce from the bowl onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.
4. Use 1/3 cup filling for each tortilla, placing in the middle of the tortilla and rolling tight. Place seam side down in the baking dish, doing so until all tortillas and filling have been used. Spread the remaining reserved sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza

• 1 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crust
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (if your kids like it!)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread barbecue sauce on crust. Top with chicken, bacon, peppers, onion (if using) and cilantro. Sprinkle with cheese.
2. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

More Rotisserie Chicken Ideas

You can get 3-4 cups of meat from a rotisserie chicken. Keep that in mind when looking at recipes that call for cooked and cubed or shredded chicken. Here are some ideas:

• Stir Fry – Add 1 cup cubed chicken to a stir fry with your favorite veggies and rice. Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce is great for this!
• Chicken Salad – Make your favorite chicken salad with shredded chicken, mayo, sliced almonds, sliced grapes and dried cranberries.
• Chicken Pasta Salad – This is a great one for lunch boxes. Start with a cooked rotini pasta, and add Italian dressing, cooked bacon, cherry tomatoes, chopped chicken and a favorite cheese.
• Buffalo Chicken Wraps – Toss shredded chicken with a Buffalo sauce, then wrap in flour tortillas with shredded carrots and thin-sliced celery, plus blue cheese if you like it.

Black Beans

Make a pot of black beans on Sunday, and you can use them for lunch and dinner throughout the week. Using an Instant Pot is a hands-free way to make them super quick and easily. If you don’t have one, no worries! Just make them according to the package directions.

Instant Pot Black Beans

• 1 (1 pound) bag black beans, rinsed and sorted
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1. Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Cover, twist to lock the lid, and turn the valve to sealing. Press the Beans button.
2. When the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Turn the valve to venting.

Note: If not using right away, store beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest and juice from 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cups cooked quinoa

1. Combine olive oil, lime zest and juice, chili powder, cumin and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk until combined.
2. In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, bell pepper and cooked quinoa.
3. Pour dressing over mixture and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Black Bean Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) container sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups cooked black beans
• 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, garlic, mushrooms and corn about 10 minutes. Season with chili powder, cumin and black pepper.
2. Stir in black beans, broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Remove 1 1/2 cups chili to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. This will help thicken the chili. Stir the bean mixture back into the soup.

Note: Top with cheese or any of your favorite toppings. Kids may also like it served as three-way chili with spaghetti noodles.

Natalie Mikles is a mom of three. She writes about food, sharing recipes for busy families and picky eaters. She has been recognized for her food columns as well as features on families and issues affecting local children. She loves pizza and movie nights with her family.