I'd really been wanting to make this Cornbread Chicken Salad recipe I got from a co-worker of mine when I lived in Louisville (which is weird because I don't love cornbread). She used to have us over for summer nights of salad, sweets, and sangria. And since Texas pretty much feels like summer even in January, I thought it would be acceptable to do salad for dinner this week.
Maybe when I'm a more experienced blogger I'll remember to take step-by-step pictures. But for now, all I have is the finished product (sans the dressing).
I promise there is chicken in there. It's just hiding.
The key to this salad is working in advance. Last night, I cooked the cornbread and grilled the chicken so they could both cool overnight. Who wants hot chicken on a cold salad? Ick. Plus, Mondays are my long day at work so when I got home, all I had to do was chop up some veggies and the chicken, crumble the cornbread, sprinkle some cheese and voila!....Cornbread Chicken Salad.
Cornbread Chicken Salad
6 oz. Jiffy (or Jiffy-style) Mexican cornbread (prepared according to package), crumbled
2 stalks Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
3/4 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can corn with green and red peppers, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1-1.5 cups Mexican cheese (or reduced-fat cheddar works too)
4 green onions, chopped
Bacon bits, to taste (The real kind. Not those weird, hard bacon-flavored square things)
Low-fat Ranch dressing
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I sprinkled mine with salt and pepper, then just grilled them indoors on my stove top grill pan. Chill overnight.)
Combine first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Stir. Cube chilled chicken and place on top. Dish out and top with salad dressing (a carefully measured tbsp for us ladies, a slathered plate for the menfolk). Serves about 6. Hello, leftovers!
