A Chili's Salad My Way

Have you ever tasted the yummy goodness that Chili's calls the Quesadilla Explosion Salad?  If not, you really need to try it, as it's my favorite restaurant salad and my go-to choice every time Hubs and I take Date Night to Chili's!

However, if you'd like to experience the salad at home, I came pretty darn close to recreating this tasty and filling dinner salad tonight for dinner.  Not only did I clean out several leftovers hanging out in the 'fridge, but I filled us full of vitamins, minerals, and those ever-important phytochemicals "they" keep stressing we include in our daily diets!

Here's how I made two dinner-sized portions of my very own Quesadilla Explosion:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle Lawry's Mexican Chile and Lime Marinade with Lime Juice

1 bag torn romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cups fresh salsa, leftover from pan-seared salmon

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup Fresh Gourmet Tri-Color Tortilla Strips

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup roasted red pepper rouille, left over from steamed asparagus

2 T sour cream

Pierce both sides of chicken breasts and marinade for 30 minutes.  Grill until juices run clear.

While chicken breasts are grilling, assemble salads on dinner plates.  First lay a bed of romaine.  Then spoon the salsa over each bed of lettuce.  Sprinkle cheese, tortilla strips , and cilantro over salsa.

Once chicken is done, slice on the diagonal and place on top of salad.  Generously drizzle rouille over entire salad and top with a dollop of sour cream over each plate.

If you were at Chili's, you'd get your salad with warm cheese quesadilla wedges on the side.  If your name is Katie-Kate, you'd ask for a side of guacamole to go with said quesadillas.  But if you're in my kitchen and enjoying the homemade version of this salad, you'd understand that we're trying to be healthy again, so cheese and bread fried together doesn't fit into the meal plan...  With or without, this salad is tasty!!