Hello Hip Huggers and Happy Friday!
Taco salads have become a staple over these last few months of getting back to a healthy balanced lifestyle. I wanted to share the recipe and pictures form the fabulous one I made today. With all the fixings. Consider yourselves loves, blog readers – my IG’ers only got the naked version.
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You will need:
2 whole chicken breast
1/2 pack taco seasoning
One 16 oz. jar medium salsa
1 bag romaine (Italian) salad
1/4 cup pico de gallo
6-8 blue corn tortilla chips, optional but highly suggested
1/2 avocado, sliced, optional but read above about the chips
Ok, here we go:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take breasts and after rinsing and patting dry, place in 9×9 casserole dish. Season both sides of chicken with taco seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour 3/4 of jar of salsa all over chicken. This is the one I always see to have on hand, thick and chunky and organic.
Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Once finished cooking, take 2 forks and begin shredding chicken until it’s of a stringy consistency, the pulled chicken effect.
From here, you’re either going to prep you meals by simply dividing chicken evenly into however many dishes or portions you choose (to put salad together later) or pull about 1 cup of chicken mixture out for preparing now and store the rest.
In a bowl, grab about a handful of romaine salad. I use Italian salad because it has so much big chunky chopped romaine, and a bagged salad will surely get eaten. The remainder won’t turn into a science experiment from being forgotten about in the crisper, which I am notorious for doing. So are you.
Next, I add the scooped chicken on top of the lettuce. It shouldn’t drown the lettuce, as it is a salad, but it should be hearty. I think 1 cup is the perfect amount but you decide. I then top that with already chopped or homemade pico de gallo, whichever is on hand. I’m not fancy. I also don’t have a picture, because I didn’t plan on posting but you get the idea, right. Just think moderation. Here is the pico I use when I haven’t made it to La Azteca for their pico or haven’t made in of my own. Aldi finds….
Then, to finish it off – a tablespoon of sour cream, slice 1/2 of an avocado and crush up the tortilla chips for crunch and the taco salad vibe. If you want a more clean version, sans the extras – trust me you’ll enjoy it either way. The finished product should look as yummy as this, in natural lighting that is…
Naked Version…
All Dressed Up and Ready for a Good Time Version…
I am at a stage with my kiddos where I am teaching them a lot about cooking. Which is super beneficial to me, as I am learning easier ways of making quick healthy meals, that are delicious, right along with them. They could do this, easy peasy. And I have the confidence they’re eating well and my house isn’t being burned down in the process.
Win, win!
Eat, eat!
Did this recipe inspire a taco salad for dinner? Let me know!
Runs With Hips 