It is one of the oldest pieces of culinary advice: If you want to save money, avoid convenience items and prepare meals from scratch.
This is true for a batch of brownies (39 cents for homemade vs. more than $2 for a boxed mix) and cut fruit (pineapple is only $2.75 per pound vs. $4 for precut)
And especially for ready-to-eat meals, which typically cost about twice as much as the supplies required to prepare them. However, there is an exception to this rule: rotisserie chicken.
In the majority of supermarket stores, a complete raw chicken costs more than its roasted counterpart.
A finished supper that does not need to be cleaned, stuffed, seasoned, or roasted at home appears to be a much better value for shoppers who are pressed for time, savings aside.
The golden, juicy rotisserie chickens found in grocery shops are frequently the unsold raw chickens that are ready to expire.
By selling them at a cheaper price, grocery retailers earn less than they would on raw birds, but far more than if they simply threw them away.
We have compiled a list of the greatest rotisserie chickens sold in grocery stores. Repurposing unsold items is a popular practise at supermarket stores.
To reduce food waste, vegetables and meat are frequently added to prepackaged salads and deli products.