BBQ Chicken Salad

I have been collecting gluten free meals for about four weeks now.  I have come across ones that I have loved and ones that I can't even eat.  It has been so hard on my husband how much food we have been throwing out but it is such a learning experience.  One of my favorite food blogs is melskitchencafe.com.  I have loved her recipes for years and she even has some gluten free recipes I have been using.  I am going to try and start documenting what we eat all day and help everybody out with how we went gluten free.  honestly it hasn't been that bad and we have really found meals that we have loved.  Tonight we had leftovers from last night.  It was so good the first night I was craving it again tonight.  Here is the link for the regular recipe.  Below is my Gluten Free version.

Mel’s Kitchen café’s

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

Note: this recipe calls for already cooked chicken so plan ahead! I like to cook my chicken in the crock pot, using a whole chicken. I usually melt 2 Tablespoons of butter on the bottom of my crock pot.  Then I take out all of the innards of the chicken and stick an apple in the cavity.  Then I rub it with Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and a pinch of cayenne. I put the chicken in my crock pot on high for 4 hours.   It is really easy and so cheap.  We eat all of the meat usually within a couple days and then I make a bone broth with the left over bones.  I also make my own beans once a week.  I put them in my crock pot one night and then I don’t have to purchase canned beans.  Another way I have found to save money eating Gluten Free.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken and Salad:

·         3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

·         2 cups BBQ sauce (Make sure yours is Gluten Free)

·         ½ head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped

·         2 romaine hearts, chopped ( I use 3 cups Spinach)

·         1/2 red onion diced

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

·         1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

·         1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

·         4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed small or shredded

·         4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, cubed small or shredded

Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing:

·         1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular

·         1/3 cup milk

·         1/3 cup buttermilk ( I make my own Buttermilk by putting lemon Juice in milk)

·         2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

·         1 tablespoon lime juice

·         1 teaspoon white vinegar

·         1 teaspoon granulated sugar

·         1 garlic clove, finely minced

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1/4 to 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.   For the salad, combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2.   In a large bowl, toss together the iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, red onion, cilantro, corn, black beans and cheese. Toss the mixed salad with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dressing, if desired. Otherwise, you can serve the dressing on the side. Place salad on plates and top with the prepared BBQ chicken and additional dressing.

3.   For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. You could also run this through a blender to make it even more smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTES

Make Ahead Instructions: All the components of this salad can be prepared up to a day in advance (the dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance). Store separately in the refrigerator and toss before serving.