Back in my high school years, when I worked at Chuck E. Cheese’s, I discovered a love for BBQ chicken pizza. The cooks would use barbecue sauce in place of the marinara sauce and top it with cheese, chicken and red onion and it was perfect. Perfect tasting, but not perfectly good for you. I would eat a personal pizza on my break and I would LOVE it! Sometimes I would dip it in ranch dressing, because I am weird like that.

When I ate this salad it took me back to my little happy place. It was like I was back at Chuck E. Cheese’s again. This salad is going in my top ten list of salads now. It’s packed with good stuff for you, so you can enjoy the taste of the salad now and appreciate the way it makes you feel later. How perfect is that? The pizzas were great, but this salad is better.

Pull a salad together with your leftovers.

This salad is actually a mix of several leftovers we had in our fridge and pantry. We ate corn on the cob the night before and had one cob leftover. I made a recipe the night before that used chicken, but I cooked more than I needed. We had black beans in the pantry and cheese and red onion in the fridge so I decided to toss those in there.

Have you ever made a salad out of remaining leftovers in your fridge and pantry? Next time you are at the store grab a bag of salad (or some romaine, spinach or iceberg lettuce). Then, when you want to squeeze an extra meal in and not waste the leftovers, you can pile on some fruits, veggies, and protein on the lettuce. Then top it with a little bit of dressing. It can make a little bit of leftovers go a long way!

Okay, but let’s talk about the dressing for this salad for a minute, because that is where it’s at.

The dressing is a magical combination of ranch and barbecue sauce. Well, it’s not really so magical, but it is yummy, which is kind of the same thing. You could use any light ranch and BBQ sauce you want, but here are the kinds I used:

Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce

Kraft Light Ranch dressing

I had a helper this time.

My daughter is nine years old now and is quite competent in the kitchen when I need help, but she is also a big goofball. Here is what it looks like when my daughter decides to help…

My daughter has given me permission to share her pictures on here. She was happy to assist in topping the lettuce with the other foods. She is our creative one so this was right up her alley. Food can be art, sometimes. If you have young kids in your life they may enjoy helping you too!

Seeing the blog through the eyes of my children.

One of the things I was thinking about today is how a food blog not only chronicles what the blogger eats, but it also gives a glimpse into the blogger’s lives as well. When I view the blog through the eyes of my children, I see it a little differently. I am reminded that one day they will be older and will possibly look back on posts like these with fond memories.

For this reason, I have decided to drop little messages to them that they may read one day.  My first message will be to Keely, since she helped me with this salad.

Message to Keely:

Keely, I had fun preparing this salad with you. You are a joy and I love you and am proud of you. Thanks for making this salad a memorable one for me with your silliness and sweetness. Cooking is always more fun when I get to do it with you. I will always think of you now every time I make this salad. Love, your mom.

Are you ready to try a great salad?

Here is what you need:

8 cups Romaine, shredded or torn (This was about 3 romaine hearts for me)
1-1/2 cup cooked grilled chicken, cubed or sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce
1/4 cup Kraft Light Ranch dressing

This salad really is as easy as it looks…

1. Top the lettuce with the stuff.
2. Toss it together.
3. Eat it.

For those who need accurate measurements and WW SP, here are the amounts for one serving:

One serving is 2 c. romaine, 1/3 c. chicken, 2 Tbsp. red onion, 2 Tbsp. black beans, 2 Tbsp. corn, 1 Tbsp. cheese, 1 Tbsp. BBQ sauce, 1 Tbsp. Ranch dressing.

Makes 4 servings.
One serving is 6 Green, 3 Blue, and 3 Purple points.

Print Recipe

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

6 Green, 3 Blue, and 3 Purple points per serving

Makes: 4 servings

Calories: 269

Author: Alisha Hughes

Ingredients

• 8 cups Romaine, shredded or torn (This was about 3 romaine hearts for me)
• 1-1/2 cup cooked grilled chicken, cubed or sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup Kraft Light Ranch dressing

Instructions

• Top romaine with the rest of the ingredients. Toss and serve immediately.