This time of year is notoriously busy season for our family.
The Dudes are in soccer (in two separate leagues) and lacrosse, family photo season is on and poppin’, swim team is getting started, and finishing out the school year is pulling us in a bunch of different directions.
Finding time to cook and sit down and eat a healthy meal as a family is like finding time to lay on my couch and eat bon bons while I Internet shop and scrapbook our Disney vacation.
Basically impossible, no matter how badly I want it to happen.
To attempt a semblance of regular family life, I do a lot of early day meal prep and I serve The Dudes First Dinner when they come home from school each day, but if we want to find time to eat together, with DudeDad’s actual face across from us, we often have to schedule a meet up, before we head our separate ways, at a family dining establishment.
We go to places like Red Robin and Outback when we have time and funding. But often we are on a tighter budget and schedule and in need of something less costly and more speedy to meet our needs.
Boston Market is one of the places we like to go to make that happen.
The Dudes dig it because they get to choose their own food which rarely happens at home.
I like it because everyone in the family is cool with rotisserie chicken (meaning no one moans and groans about it as a main dish), and most of the options for sides are healthy eating friendly. And, even when I am in the throws of a WHOA-I-HAVE-TO-WEAR-A-SWIMSUIT-SATURDAY weight loss marathon, I can find something that meets my caloric needs (they have tons of under 500 calorie meals!).
Believe it or not, the joy of eating rotisserie chicken is one some people take quite seriously. In fact, the people at Boston Market know these rotisserie chicken connoisseurs exist and like their spit fired chicken so much that they have helped create National Rotisserie Chicken Day (yes, really) to give people like them (and all of us who just want a good reason to snag free food: download the coupon for your free side) a chance to go hard with their celebrating.
I know, you’re thinking why on earth would rotisserie chicken get a holiday?!
And, while I am still side eyeing it a little myself, I love that it’s really more about encouraging families to carve out time to eat together and to choose a more healthy chicken option (compared to fried). Plus, Boston Market is offering some cool discounts and giving away fun prizes and even hosting a Twitter party (tonight, 8pm eastern, and I will be there with my witty words and silly one liners, #RotisserieChickenDay) with even more prizes to celebrate.
Also awesome? They are letting me giveaway a $100 Boston Market gift card to one of you cool people!
Before I do that though, I’m gonna share a left over rotisserie chicken recipe with you because honestly, does anyone ever finish the whole thing in one sitting?!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Leftover rotisserie chicken, pulled from bones and shredded
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (I use Rotel because it’s a little spicier but you can use whatever you like)
1 cup frozen corn (you can use canned if that’s what you have), thawed
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili Powder
salt and pepper to taste
tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
sour cream (optional)
avocados (optional)
Directions
1. Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, broth, lime, and all of the seasonings to a large pot.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Allow to boil.
4. Remove from pot into individual dishes.
5. Top with cheese and tortilla strips.
6. When cheese gets a little melty, serve with whatever optional toppings you dig.
Now, how about that free chicken?!
*Disclosure: Today’s post is being brought to you by Boston Market. I received yummy chicken and other compensation to share this promotion with you. All recipes, witty words, and mouth watering photos are my own. Bring me your chicken if you win, I will make you soup.
NOMNOMNOMNOM……SERIOUSLY LOVE CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP…NOW I WANT THAT AT 8:44AM!