Cooking School
Chef D BBQ Chicken Salad
Chef Darian Davis
School is out, summer is here and it's time to take a break and feel free. I know it’s hot and most of us don't want to cook or turn on the stove. Many of us will probably eat out more than usual however it is also a time for us to rest and eat better. I want everyone to take a break and slow down to prepare a special meal just for them. I want to share with you a new recipe. For months now I have been trying to create a Take In portion of my upcoming cookbook by recreating some of my Take Out favorites. One restaurant my family loves is California Pizza Kitchen and we all always order the Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad. Well I finally have recreated and it is excellent.
This recipe is plentiful it can feed a family of six. It’s great to have during the week in the fridge and is great for parents to take to work. And it is excellent for parties. I make large portions for my family so I have not mastered it in a single serving yet but you can cut everything in half to make a portion for 3.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups shredded lettuce
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups of tomatoes
- 2 cups canned black beans
- 1 1/2 cup red onion sliced thin
- 2 cups sharp shredded cheddar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Dressing:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon of cilantro finely chopped (don’t try to make it without it)
- ½ cup honey BBQ sauce
You will also need 1 medium corn tortilla for each serving.
Preparation:
Layer all the ingredients in a large 2qt serving bowl. Lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, onions. In a separate bowl mix together the dressing. I refrigerate the dressing separately not adding it to the salad until ready to serve. Before serving salad heat up frying pan and spray with non stick spray. Pan fry corn tortilla on both sides. Wait until cool then break up in separate bowl. When ready to serve salad top with dressing, grated cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla.
