ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AND A PACKAGE OF TORTILLAS EQUALS ... SIX EASY MEALS.

Rotisserie chicken and a package of tortillas equals ... six easy meals.
By KATHLEEN PURVIS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Rotisserie chicken is something fast you pick up on the way home. Tortillas are easy to keep on hand. If you put them together with a few more simple ingredients, you can have these dishes for dinner.
CHICKEN MOLE 'LASAGNE'
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (8 ounces) tomato juice
1 cup (8 ounces) low-sodium beef broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 to 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
8 corn tortillas (approx.)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack
Heat vegetable oil over medium-high in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion. When it sizzles, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 10 minutes, until onion is softened.
Uncover and raise heat to medium. Add cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cocoa power, cayenne and garlic. Stir, cooking a minute or two until fragrant.
Stir in tomato juice, beef broth and chicken. Bring to a boil. Stir in cornmeal and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat.
Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Place two tortillas, overlapping, on bottom of pie plate. (Tortillas won't completely cover the bottom; that's OK.)
Top with a quarter of the chicken and sauce and a quarter of the cheese. Continue layering, ending with sauce and cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Cut in wedges to serve.
Serves 6.
Adapted from "The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook," by Justin Spring (Broadway, $12.95).
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
1 cooked chicken
6 cups (48 ounces) chicken broth
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
6 corn tortillas, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
Lime wedges
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup cubed Mexican cheese, such as queso fresco, or shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
Pull meat off chicken and dice into bite-size pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use. Discard skin and bones, or place in saucepan with chicken broth.
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes. Strain, discarding skin and bones. Refrigerate broth and discard fat from top. (This is optional; you can use plain chicken broth.)
Put 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Working in batches if necessary, add tortilla strips and cook until lightly brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cover, reduce heat and cook about 10 minutes, until softened. Uncover and add garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium.
Add tomatoes and about half the tortilla strips. Add the broth, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree in the pot using an immersion blender, or in a countertop blender in batches, working carefully.
Return soup to stove over medium heat. Stir in chicken. To serve, place a few tortilla strips in a bowl. Top with soup, then garnish with lime wedges, cilantro, cheese and avocado.
Serves 6.
CHICKEN BURRITO BAKE
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup tomatillo salsa or 1 (7-ounce) can salsa verde
1 (2-cup) package shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
8 to 10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 (10-ounce) containers refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce
Optional garnishes: Shredded lettuce, diced avocado or chopped cilantro leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken, tomatillo salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down the middle of a tortilla. Fold one edge over and roll up. Place, seam down, in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
Combine pasta sauce and remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese in the mixing bowl. Spread over the burritos.
Bake until sauce is bubbling and browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Top with lettuce, avocado or cilantro if desired.
Serves 8.
From "The Dinner Doctor," by Anne Byrn (Workman, 2003). You can use the reduced-fat Alfredo sauce, but this is still very rich. All you'd need on the side is a green salad.
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce, divided
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 (2-cup) package shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterrey Jack, divided
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos (from a jar)
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray
Combine 1 can enchilada sauce and tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Stir in chicken and cook a few minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cilantro and jalapenos.
Place tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high about 60 seconds, until softened. Place about 1/2 cup chicken down the center of a tortilla. Roll and place seam down in an 11-by-9-inch baking dish. Continue with remaining chicken mixture and tortillas. Spray tops of enchiladas lightly with cooking spray.
Spread remaining can of enchilada sauce over the tops of the tortillas. Spread remaining cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.
MOO SHU CHICKEN WRAPS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (8-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see note)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 flour tortillas
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add coleslaw mix and cook briefly, 2 to 3 minutes, just until slightly softened but still crunchy. Add chicken and cook another minute or two, to heat through. Stir in hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Remove from heat.
Place tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until softened.
Place 1/4 of the chicken and cabbage mixture on a tortilla. Fold each end over, then roll to make an enclosed wrap. Place on plate seam down and serve.
Note: Hoisin sauce is found on the Asian products aisle of most supermarkets.
Serves 4.
CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
1 cup canned vegetarian refried beans (save remainder for another meal)
1/4 cup bottled salsa
Nonstick cooking spray
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Sour cream and additional salsa for garnish (optional)
Combine refried beans and salsa in a mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Spray one side of a tortilla lightly with cooking spray. Place sprayed side down in a nonstick skillet. Spread with about 1/4 cup bean mixture.
Top with 1/2 cup shredded chicken and about 1/2 cup cheese. Top with another tortilla and spray top lightly with spray.
Cook over medium heat, pressing down with a spatula until lightly brown. Turn and cook second side until lightly brown. Place on a baking sheet in oven to keep warm while you continue with remaining tortillas.
Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and additional salsa.
Serves 4.
Adapted from "The Essential Eating Well Cookbook," (Countryman Press, 2004).