Basted BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

I made this salad last week and couldn't get enough of it. I told everyone about how amazing it was. And then they asked for the recipe... so I had to be on top of things and actually post about it. 

This salad is so delicious! And easy, you probably have most of the ingredients right now. You should make it for dinner tonight. And then tell all of your friends and they will want the recipe. 

We start with the chicken. If you don't have good chicken, you can't have an amazing salad. Now, if you are scared to try new things, go ahead and just grill the the chicken. But if you are brave and daring, try this way. It is called "basting" and it makes moist, flavorful chicken in only 45 minutes. You season and bake the chicken for 20 minutes and then brush on BBQ sauce every 4 minutes until it is done. A little bit of work? Yeah, but still worth it. 

You need the basics, the lettuce, tomatoes, avacados. Add some southwestern fun like black beans and corn. If you have tortilla strips, those would probably be great too. 

And then we get to the really good stuff. BBQ sauce and Cilantro Ranch Dressing! All that saucy goodness on those fresh veggies and yummy chicken. Dream come true!

BBQ Basted Chicken

Preheat oven to 350. Cut 3 chicken breasts in half and lay the 6 sections on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper/baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil or spray with pam. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. Bake for 20 min. Take out and brush your favorite BBQ sauce on each piece every 5 min. After 5 or so brushes, take chicken out and chop into bite sized pieces. 

Salad

1 head romainne lettuce, chopped

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

2 avacado, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

tortilla strips 

Sauces

BBQ sauce

Cilantro Ranch: Combine the following in blender: 1 cup mayonaise, 1 cup milk, 1 packet/3 TBSP Ranch Dressing Mix, 1 bunch fresh cilantro. Thicken with mayo or thin with milk as desired. 

Sausage & Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole

My sister in law made these for some family function or another. They are so good, it's like biscuits and cheesy gravy in a bar form. They are convenient for big groups, delicious and super easy to make (only 3 ingredients!).

Pillsbury makes the coolest thing. Crescent roll dough in one sheet! Think of all the possibilities!

Stuff it with a cream cheese and sausage mixture

Add another dough sheet and bake until golden brown. 

Make these. They are so good. And so easy, you have not reason not to. 

Sausage & Crescent Roll Casserole

1 lb of sausage ( I recommend Hot or Maple)
8oz package of Cream Cheese
2 rolls of Seamless Crescent Roll Dough

Cook sausage, add cream cheese into warm pan until incorporated. Lay dough in ungreased 9X13 pan. Top with sausage mixture and layer with another dough sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Eat warm!

Honey Almond Chia Seed Pudding with Strawberries

I first had this little guy at a work retreat.  One of our chefs brought it as an example of a creative way to use a healthy grain. She gave a presentation about how to use quinoa in salads and incorporating millet and farro in soups and such. It was a cool presentation, but this visual aid was my favorite. And the best part? It is so stupid easy to make. 

Chia seeds do this really cool thing when they get wet. They expand and form a jelly like coating that instantly thickens whatever they were added to. I love them in my smoothies or you can even add them to plain water. They remind me a bit of tapioca, so if you are not a tapioca pudding fan, you probably wont like this. Just a heads up. 

And like with most of my recipes, it is easily adapted to fit your dietary needs and taste preferences. But here is how I made it, and it turned out delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Honey Greek Yogurt (I recommend Greek Gods brand)

3/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened)

2 Tablespoons whole chia seeds

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons sliced/slivered almonds

Directions: 

Combine yogurt, milk and chia seeds in bowl. Mix well and let sit for 10 min. In a separate bowl toss strawberries and honey and let sit. When ready to serve, spoon pudding, strawberries and almonds in to a bowl, parfait style if you want. Enjoy!