BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

When I told my husband that we were having salad for dinner tonight he kind of groaned and mumbled something about "rabbit food." I am pleased to say that this amazing dish from Mel's Kitchen Cafe was a hit! It had the most wonderful combination of flavors and textures. Yes... it is more work and a longer ingredient list; however, before you write this one off take a close look at the ingredient list - most of the things in the dressing are things that you probably already have on hand. The only things that I had to buy for this dish were buttermilk, cilantro, lettuce, onion, and the black beans. I had every single one of the spices on hand. Plus, the dressing recipe makes a TON of dressing so you are guaranteed to have more to store in the fridge for future salads. And let me tell you - that was my husband's idea! After the meal he said that the salad reminded him of Cafe Rio and was, "The best rabbit food I've ever tasted!" Lol! The recipe is courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found here.

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD
from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups BBQ sauce, storebought or homemade
½ head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2 romaine hearts, chopped
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 (We just used mozzarella)

Combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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 Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime 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.

CREAMY BBQ CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
from melskitchencafe.com

1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
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

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.