Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

BBQ Chicken wraps in tortillas with mangos and blueberries

Tonight I had my cake and I ate it too.  I don’t mind cooking – when I have time – and with my schedule, that is not very often…  So tonight I served a fresh, healthy, delicious dinner AND not cook!  Yes, I warmed things up and put them together, but it doesn’t get any easier than this.  And the BBQ rubbed chicken from the other night, along with the red sauce (salsa) from the avocado enchiladas and a hint of BBQ sauce, made this meal a meal to remember!

BBQ Chicken lettuce wraps with mangos and blueberries

The Verdict

10’s all around!!!!  Everyone loved the wraps. The kids had the tortillas and my husband and I had the lettuce.  I used two long romaine leaves for each wrap.  It was crunchy and delicious!  Everyone loved the BBQ sauce (less is more), mixed with the red sauce.  This is a great way to use the chicken in a new and novel way.  I will definitely make this again!

Allergy Work Arounds:

Gluten: Use corn tortillas or lettuce (the lettuce is REALLY good!)

Dairy: Omit cheese or use a cheese substitute that works for you. We use goat cheddar cheese instead of cheddar from cow’s milk

BBQ Chicken Wraps with Potato, Onions, Cheese, Bell Pepper and Left Over Salsa – Use Lettuce or Tortillas – with Mangos and Blueberries

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids + 2-3 lunches

BBQ Chicken Wraps

BBQ Chicken Wraps

Ingredients

½ C onions, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1.75 lbs. BBQ chicken, cooked (hopefully made earlier in the week)

left over potatoes that were scooped and saved earlier in the week

left over salsa from earlier in the week

canola oil spray

8 tortillas or 8 lettuce wraps or a combination of both

1 C cheddar cheese (or preferred substitute)

Instructions

  1. Saute onions and bell pepper until tender.
  2. Add chicken, potatoes, and salsa until warm.
  3. Heat tortillas on a lightly sprayed griddle on medium heat, one minute a side.
  4. Stir cheese into chicken mixture.  Scoop ½ C of mixture into each tortilla or lettuce wrap
  5. Serve with some fruit on the side and revel in the fact that you can be rewarded for doing very little work!

BBQ Chicken Rub, Potato Skins, and Green Beans

They say surrounding yourself with great people is a key element of success.  I agree. As such, I do not hesitate to research, use, and source great recipes for this blog. This particular recipe comes from Prinicpalchef.com.   The writer of Principalchef.com, a friend, superintendent and food aficionado, brings his family and friends together through easy, party-friendly recipes. I think you and your family will enjoy this meal – and the blog!

Pre-prep is key to this meal.  It’s not that it takes a long time, but the rub needs time to absorb into the chicken and the potatoes need an hour to cook – all work that can be done before dinner time meal prep.

Yesterday I readied the chicken and baked the potatoes.

Preparing the Chicken

Making the Rub

Tonight I prepared the potato skins and baked the chicken. I also baked a little extra “unrubbed” chicken for lunches this week.

Baking the potatoes and chicken

The Verdict

9.5’s and 10’s!  Everyone loved the flavor, even my discerning daughter.  The chicken was moist and flavorful. The potato skins were also flavorful and went well with the chicken.  Get the pre-prep done and dinner is a cinch!

Recipes

BBQ Chicken Rub, Potato Skins, and Green Beans

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids + 2-3 lunches

BBQ Chicken Rub, Potato Skins, and Green Beans

Ingredients

3 Idaho russet potatoes

canola oil spray

For the rub:

.       2 T Paprika (I used Penzey’s Smoked Paprika)

·        1/4 t  Ground Black Pepper

·         1 1/2 t  Kosher Salt

·         1 1/2 t  Sugar

·        1 1/2 t Chili Powder (Ancho Chili Powder is Very Nice)

·         3/4 t Garlic Powder

·         3/4 t Cup Onion Powder

·         pinch Cayenne Pepper (This is low heat – add more if you want it!)

For the Rest of the Meal:

1.75 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

olive oil spray

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

salt, pepper, paprika

2 T grated parmesan (cow’s milk) or manchenga (sheep’s milk) cheese

1 T minced parsley

1 t chili powder

3 C fresh or frozen green beans

4 C salad greens

handful of sunflower seeds

1 carrot cut into disks

Make Ahead:

Potatoes – Make 1-2 days ahead of time.

Spray potatoes with canola oil spray.

Bake at 425 for 1 hour or until done – when a fork pierces potato easily

Set aside

Rub – Make up to 3 weeks ahead of time.

Mix all rub ingredients together.

Make Chicken – Make up to 1 day ahead of time.

Wash and dry chicken. Cut into 3” pieces. Make 3.5 lbs of chicken and you will have your chicken done for later in the week!

Massage rub into chicken. Wrap in plastic and store in refrigerator so chicken absorbs flavors of rub.

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 425

  1. Take chicken and leftover red sauce (salsa) out of refrigerator.
  2. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out centers leaving ¼ –  ½ “ layer of potato.
  3. Cut each ½ into 3 lengthwise strips.
  4. Place on baking sheet and spray insides of potato with olive oil spray.
  5. Top with garlic, paprika, parmesan or manchenga, parsley, and chili powder.
  6. Place chicken in lightly sprayed baking pan.
  7. Bake chicken for 20 -25 minutes.
  8. Add potato skins to oven for 10 minutes to heat through.
  9. Add 2 T lime juice,  ½ t kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir to blend.
  10. Place green beans in microwave safe container and microwave for 3 minutes or until done.
  11. Portion greens and salad topping for side salads. Top with no oil or low fat dressing.
  12. Plate chicken, green beans, and potatoes topped with salsa.
  13. Serve! Cowboy hats optional…

Pre-Prep Opportunities

2. Combine spices and store in a dry place until ready to use.

3. Make the spice rub for tomorrow.

4. Wash and dry chicken for the week.  Rub in spices, wrap in wax paper, and store in refrigerator until tomorrow so chicken can absorb the flavor.