We’ve all been there: After a long day, you wander into the supermarket not knowing what — or even how — you’ll put dinner on the table. And then, from out of nowhere, the scent of freshly-roasted chicken puts everything into delicious focus.

I can’t tell you how many times a supermarket rotisserie chicken has saved me on a busy weeknight. Of course, you can easily serve it on its own, alongside a simple vegetable or salad. But it also works well as a base, a canvas of sorts for whole host of dinner options. Here are 12 easy weeknight dinner ideas you can use to put dinner on the table in an hour or less, each using just a handful of ingredients and many incorporating common kitchen staples. They’re not formal recipes, but suggestions you can tweak to suit your family’s or guests’ tastes.

1. Barbecue chicken pizza: On top of store-bought or prepared rolled pizza dough, spoon over a sauce consisting of equal parts barbecue sauce and marinara or pizza sauce. Add chopped chicken and drizzle over more sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese and sliced red onion and bake. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pizza before serving.

2. Lemon chicken pasta with basil: Cook a box of pasta (any type). Meanwhile, sauté sliced mushrooms in oil until softened and lightly browned. Add chopped garlic, then stir in chopped chicken until warmed. Remove from heat and drizzle over fresh lemon juice (add lemon zest for an extra bump of bright flavor). Toss the chicken with the pasta, thinly sliced fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

3. Quesadillas: Sauté thinly-sliced onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in a little oil until softened and lightly-browned,, then combine with chopped chicken and cheese in a folded tortilla. Toast on a griddle or large skillet until the cheese melts. Serve with salsa, sour cream and gracamole.

4. Thai pasta with peanut sauce: Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, chopped garlic and a dash of hot sauce in a saucepan with enough coconut milk or water to thin. Warm over the stove, then toss with pasta and chopped chicken. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

5. Sloppy Joes: Sweat finely chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic with a little oil until translucent, then add chopped chicken to warm. Stir in equal parts marinara and barbecue sauce and spoon onto hamburger buns. Serve with plenty of napkins.

6. Macaroni salad: Toss macaroni with chopped chicken, celery and red onion and toss with a dressing of mayonnaise flavored with mustard, a touch of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Enchiladas: Coat the bottom of a baking dish with a layer of red or green enchilada sauce. Roll shredded chicken, grated cheese, sautéed onion and peppers into corn tortillas and tuck in a tight layer over the sauce in the dish. Spoon over more sauce and sprinkle over additional cheese to taste. Bake until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly. Serve topped with chopped green onion.

8. Empanadas: Sweat diced onion, chile or bell peppers, and mushrooms in a little oil until translucent, then add diced chicken and enough chili sauce to moisten. Add filling to rolled biscuit or pie dough cut into rounds, topping the filling with grated cheese. Seal and bake until golden brown, then serve with chile sauce on the side or drizzled over.

9. Chicken tortilla soup: Sauté chopped onion and bell pepper until lightly golden in a heavy pot, then add chicken broth along with a container of fresh salsa and bring to a boil. Add several fresh corn tortillas torn into pieces, and then use an immersion blender to purée everything in the pot. Add chopped or shredded chicken, more diced onion and pepper and heat to warm. Serve with crumbled fresh cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, diced onion and cilantro.

10. Chicken noodle soup: Sweat onion, carrot and celery with a little oil in a heavy pot, then add chicken broth and simmer with noodles, other vegetables such as peas and potatoes, chopped chicken and fresh herbs. (Substitute rice for the noodles for chicken and rice soup.)

11. Barbecue chicken sandwich: Combine shredded or chopped chicken with barbecue sauce, gently warming over the stove or in the microwave. Serve, topped with coleslaw, in toasted buns.

12. Pita sandwich: Spread a layer of hummus on the bottom inside of a halved pita round. Top with shredded chicken, then spoon over plain yogurt flavored with chopped fresh cucumber, cumin, garlic, fresh mint and lime juice.

BONUS: Chinese chicken salad: Combine chopped lettuce and shredded cabbage with drained canned mandarin oranges, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, chopped chicken and sesame ginger dressing to coat. Garnish the salad with toasted slivered almonds or fried wonton strips, chopped fresh cilantro and green onion.

Have other ideas? Please share them with us in the comments below: