Salad Days – BBQ Chicken Salad

As the saying goes, “You eat first with your eyes”.   The colors alone in this salad should signal a very delightful meal…but tasting is believing!This is so simple to make.  The BBQ influence doesn’t really come in the form of the chicken (though you could easily use some left over BBQ chicken if you had some).  The real BBQ  flavor of this tasty salad comes from the dressing.  You’ll make it in seconds and then make it again and again and again….it’s that good and that easy.

Another meal to share with family or friends that is sure to bring more love and more joy to your very abundant lives  🙂

BBQ Chicken Salad

Romaine lettuce or green cabbage*, chopped
tomatoes, diced
carrots, shredded
cilantro, lightly chopped
red cabbage, finely chopped
frozen corn
olives
chicken,  diced or shredded (plan on about 1/2- 3/4 cup per person)
sliced red onion, (optional)
grated cheddar cheese, optional
avocado, diced (optional)
Corn bread croutons (recipe below)
Creamy BBQ Dressing (recipe below)

(* The benefit of using green cabbage as the base of this salad is that it holds up really well to this creamy dressing.  If you want to be able to toss your salad and need it to sit for a bit before serving it, or if you serving it as a part of a buffet where it will be sitting for a while as guests serve themselves, then this is the way to go.)

The chicken you use in this salad can be made especially for the salad or be left over rotisserie chicken or BBQ chicken.  If you are making chicken specifically for the salad, take boneless skinless breasts and drizzle them with olive oil then season liberally with salt and pepper.  Roast them in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes depending on how large the breasts are.  Cook until firm and lightly browned.

Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before slicing or cutting into cubes.

Make a bed of chopped romaine or cabbage and top with sections of the tomatoes, red cabbage, carrots, cilantro, olives, corn and chicken as well as the grated cheese and avocado if you are using them.  When ready to toss, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and then drizzle less dressing than you think you will need.  Toss and adjust the amount of dressing adding only a very little at a time.  Add in croutons just as you are ready to serve, reserving a few to use on top of the salad as a garnish.  This salad is always a hit!

Creamy BBQ Dressing

Use equal amounts of your favorite BBQ sauce (ours is Bulls Eye without the high fructose corn syrup) and Best Foods mayonnaise.  Squeeze the juice of 1-2 limes.  Measure lime juice before adding to dressing and add an equal amount of honey or sugar.   Mix thoroughly and let sit until ready to use.  Warning – this can be VERY addictive !

Corn Bread Croutons

You can make cornbread from your favorite recipe or mix OR use our favorite recipe found here.
Allow the cornbread to cool completely…make sure it is really cool or it will fall apart when you are making the croutons.  The best option is to make it the day before you are making your salad.

Cut cornbread into 1″x 1″ pieces.  Toss with 1/2 cup oil and 1 stick of melted butter.  Bake on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.