Looking for a way to get out of the kitchen to enjoy warm weather activities with friends and family? Here’s a secret for cooks looking for time-saving

shortcuts that won’t com pro mise the taste of homemade meals. Fully cooked, roasted chicken sliced to desired thickness at the deli counter can save hours of prepara tion time for dishes calling for roasted chicken as an ingredient. By substituting chicken that’s already been slow-roasted and seasoned when bought sliced at the deli, meals can still have the homemade taste of roasted chicken even if the cook has spent the day at the beach, on the golf course or in the garden.

Deli slicing chicken is versatile, too. It can be sliced thick and then cut into pieces and tossed into a refreshing salad, or give a boost to a sum mery soup. Cut thin, deli slicing chicken goes gourmet when layered on soft slices of multigrain bread and combined with an assortment of fresh vegetables and spices.

Visit www.boarshead.com for more time-saving meal preparation tips.

Chicken Gazpacho Sandwich Servings: 4 The pungent tastes of roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, sweet carrots, cucum bers and spices turn a simple chicken sandwich into the perfect gourmet meal for a warm day or evening.

8 slices multi-grain bread 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 small cucumber, sliced into

thin rounds 1 cup grated carrots

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon garlic powder 1/2 cup drained roasted red

peppers, cut julienne style 1/2 cup drained, sun-dried

tomatoes in oil, cut

julienne style 12 slices Boar’s Head EverRoast

Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Place 4 bread slices on a work surface. Spread each with a layer of mayonnaise and add enough cucum bers to form a layer. Sprinkle with carrots and a pinch of dried rose mary and garlic powder. Mix peppers with tomatoes and layer on top of carrots. Evenly divide chicken among sandwiches. Close sandwich with remaining bread slices and serve. Pulled Chicken and Tomato-Vegetable Soup Servings: 6 Cut the cooking time for this flavorful soup by substituting deli slicing chicken for recipes calling for precooked chicken. Make sure to use a quality chicken that is sliced fresh at the deli for a homemade chicken taste.

2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 head cabbage, shredded

1 red onion, cut into a small

dice 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes,

cut into a 1/2-inch dice 2 large carrots, cut into

1-inch julienne strips 2 teaspoons dried oregano,

6 sprigs for garnish 2 14-ounce cans chicken

broth 2 14-ounce cans fire-roasted

tomatoes with liquid 1 pound (1/4 inch thick)

slices Boar’s Head EverRoast Oven Roasted

Chicken Breast, cut

in strips

Add olive oil to large soup pot and heat at medium high until oil is hot. Add cabbage, onion, celery and potatoes; sauté for 8 minutes, stir ring occasion ally. Add carrots, dried oregano, chicken broth and tomatoes. Cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Use your fingers to pull chicken into strips; add to soup. Serve in individual bowls garnished with an oregano stem. Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Barbecue Dressing Servings: 4 wraps Light and satisfying, tangy and sweet — this recipe has it all. Juicy roast chicken topped with a sweet and mild barbecue sauce and wrapped up in tender butter lettuce leaves makes a quick lunch or a light supper — and it all comes together in just minutes.

2 cups Boar’s Head

EverRoast Oven Roasted

Chicken Breast,

julienned 4 large butter lettuce leaves

1 cup mixed cucumber and

green onion strips 1/4 cup Boar’s Head Sweet &

Mild Gourmet Barbecue

Sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mix black and

white sesame seeds

Place the chicken onto the lettuce leaves and top with the cucumbers and onions. Mix the barbecue sauce with the lemon juice and mayon naise and pour over the top. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.