Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

Well, I had to start somewhere, and this is one of my "original" recipes - although I based it off of a seriously superb salad that I had at a local restaurant. This was originally posted on my family website, but it deserves getting posted here as well! I actually think mine turned out better than the restaurant version!!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (still frozen)

1 cup mesquite marinade (or any southwest flavor)

1 bunch  red leaf lettuce, rinsed, drained, and chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup black beans

1 cup cooked corn

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Kraft Honey Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

1. Earlier in the day place frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot and pour marinade over.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  You could also marinade the chicken overnight and then grill.  Allow chicken to cool and then slice into 1/4 inch strips.

2. To assemble salads:  Divide lettuce between 6 large bowls.  Divide remaining ingredients among the bowls layering cilantro, black beans, corn, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, and chips.  Drizzle lightly with barbecue sauce then top with ranch dressing.  Serve immediately.

Tips

1.  You can use a can of black beans drained and rinsed, or I like to buy my beans dried and soak and cook them (find out how here).  I then drain and divide them into quart size freezer ziplock bags and freeze until needed.  They can be quickly defrosted in the microwave if you forget to get them out earlier.  This is much more economical (1 pound of dried beans is $1 and this makes about 4-6 cans worth).

2.  My husband prefers to use salsa and ranch for his dressing.