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 compromise the taste of homemade meals. Fully cooked, roasted chicken sliced to desired thickness at the deli counter can save hours of preparation 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 summery 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.

Pulled Chicken and Tomato-Vegetable Soup

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; sautÈ for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 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.

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 Chicken Breast

Place 4 bread slices on a work surface. Spread each with a layer of mayonnaise and add enough cucumbers to form a layer. Sprinkle with carrots and a pinch of dried rosemary 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.