Cafe Rio Type Salads

Shredded Chicken

1/2 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1/2 Tbl. chili powder

1/2 Tbl. cumin

1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 -2 Lbs. chicken breast

Combine dressing, chili powder, cumin and garlic. Pour into crockpot and add chicken. Cook on low for about 4 hours or until done and shreds easily. Shred meat (with the liquid) and cook 1 additional hour. (I had enough extra chicken to use the leftovers in another meal during the week).

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet

1 c. Mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2-3 tomatillos, husks removed and washed

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno, ribbed and seeded

3 green onions, opt.

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Refrigerate for awhile to allow to thicken slightly. (This makes a ton of dressing. I cut the recipe in half and used it for two different meals during the week and I still have some left over).

For Serving:

Flour tortillas

Cheddar Cheese, shredded

I made 1/4 of a batch of this Mexican Green Rice

1 can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained, warmed

chopped lettuce

fresh pico de gallo

crunchy corn strips (I cut a few corn tortillas into strips and fried them in a little bit of vegetable oil until crispy)

Cotija cheese, for topping (I didn't use)

sprig of cilantro, for garnish

Place flour tortillas on baking sheet. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the top of each tortilla. Bake a few minutes until tortilla is slightly crispy and cheese is melted. You still want the tortilla to be soft, you only want it crispy around the edges. Remove from oven and layer with rice, beans, shredded chicken, chopped lettuce, fresh pico, drizzle with dressing and top with crunchy corn strips, crumbled Cotija and top with a spring of fresh cilantro. Serve.