Taco Salad and Cilantro Lime Ranch

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 cups fresh salsa
• 1 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 head green leaf or iceberg lettuce, cut or torn into bite size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 avocados, diced, optional
• Sour cream, for serving, optional
• 1 recipe cilantro lime ranch, recipe follows
• 6 taco salad bowls or fried flour tortilla chips
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp buttermilk ranch seasoning mix
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 small clove garlic
• Juice of 1/2 – 1 lime

Directions

1. Add the chicken to a slow cooker, spoon the salsa over the top, and scatter the taco seasoning evenly over everything. Cover and let it cook on low heat for 5 hours.
2. Lift the chicken out of the slow cooker, keeping the salsa broth behind, then shred the chicken and put it aside. Add the black beans, pinto beans, and corn to the broth in the slow cooker, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Fold the shredded chicken back in gently, then continue cooking on low heat for about 15 minutes, until everything is warmed through.
4. For each salad, build the layers with flour tortilla chips, lettuce, the chicken mixture scooped from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, sour cream, and a drizzle of cilantro lime ranch. Serve right away.