Simple Dinners: Crunchy BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

I am always trying to recreate some of our favorite dishes from restaurants.  I had great success with my Queso Blanco so I started to take a crack at another one of my favorites: Crunchy BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad. When it comes to simple dinners, this doesn’t get much easier! Not only is it a simple meal, it’s also inexpensive making it the perfect dinner for those tight times around the first and fifteenth of the month.

The salad part is easy to copy. It was the BBQ Ranch dressing that was giving me issues. I just couldn’t get the right ratio of BBQ and Ranch or the dressing. But I was determined to get it right. At my recent trip to Walmart I stocked up on KRAFT Barbecue Sauce and KRAFT Ranch Dressing. I also picked up some romaine lettuce, KRAFT shredded cheddar cheese, and other yummies for my salad.  And the bonus? My KRAFT items were all on Rollback so I saved even more on my simple dinner.

I started playing around with the dressing first. I used the barbecue sauce as the base and added the ranch until I got it just right.

And I did get it just right!

Crunchy BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups rice, cooked (optional)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 roma tomato, diced
4 cups Romaine lettuce, shredded
VELVEETA Shredded Cheese and crushed tortilla chips for toppings

Feel free to add some of your favorite salad ingredients: green onions, olives, jalapenos, sour cream, guacamole, salsa,or green peppers.

BBQ Ranch Dressing

1 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing
1 1/2 cup KRAFT Barbecue Sauce

1. In a small mason jar, combine your KRAFT Ranch Dressing and KRAFT Barbecue Sauce. Shake well. Put aside for your topping.

2. Prep your salad! Start with a layer of romaine and then top with shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and diced tomatoes. If you are going to include rice, add it in with the lettuce.

3. Add your dressing before topping with the cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

4. Finish your salad off with the shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Can I just say this is one of my most absolute favorite meals? There’s no excuse for me to order this out anymore! Also? It’s under $20! Yeah, you heard me right. This yummy meal can be made for you and your family for under $20. It would cost me way more to order this (plus my family’s meal) out.