No matter how much you try to plan, things get crazier at the end of the week, which is one reason I love menus like tonight’s. Because I already cooked this chicken earlier in the week, the only “work” to do is warming things up. There is nothing to cook!

I also like this meal because it is so fresh.  The mango, avocado, tomato and lettuce are welcome flavors and textures during the winter months when I tend to cook more of my meals and make more soups.  And tonight, for maximum freshness and minimum carbs, I experimented with using lettuce instead of tortillas.

My kids also like this meal. And while they really like the taste, I know they are big fans of this meal because, well… they like to eat with their hands.  Yes, I admit it.  As much as I encourage, teach, and yes, nag them about using silverware, they really prefer to eat without their fork and spoon…  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

…

I decided to eat early as my son had a late practice and my husband was coming home too late to eat with the kids.  My plan was to eat at 5:15.  At 5:00 I pulled everything out of the refrigerator – the chicken, cheese, lettuce, mango, radish, the remaining black beans, salsa, Braggs Hawaiian Dressing and Marinade, and tortillas.  I also grabbed the avocado and tomato from the counter.  If you haven’t already diced the pepper, tomato, mango, radish, or chicken, and if the cheese is not already grated, allow an extra 15 minutes.

After warming the chicken on a griddle on the stove, I began warming the tortillas, 2 at a time.  Once the tortillas were hot on the first side, I flipped them, added grated cheese and turned down the heat.  As the cheese began to melt, I added chicken, and the rest of the toppings. You can fold them in half like a taco or roll them into a “burrito”. As finger food is a favorite and burritos are neater, I rolled mine into a burrito and placed them on the side of the griddle. You can also use corn tortillas (which are smaller) and fold in half for tacos.

I took some larger leafs of lettuce, (I used butter lettuce but you can use romaine or any other lettuce that can hold taco ingredients.  I added the warmed chicken, cheese, and the rest of the toppings and served.  We sat down at 5:15!

The Verdict

This is a favorite! Everyone really liked the tacos.  Ratings of 9 and 10 across the board.  The kids had the burritos and my husband and I had the low carb, lettuce tacos.  I would definitely make this again – it is a great reinvention of chicken made earlier in the week.  The mangos really make this dish, so don’t leave them out.  If you can’t find mangos, use pineapple or kiwi.

Recipe: Lettuce (or Tortilla) Hawaiian Chicken Tacos, with Mango, Avocado, Cheese, Tomato and Lettuce

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids; with extra chicken for another dinner or 4 lunches

Ingredients

1 Avocado

1 Tomato

1 Mango

Remaining ½ can of Black Beans

Whole Wheat Tortillas, corn tortillas and/or big leaves of lettuce – boston leaf lettuce, romaine, other good “sandwich” lettuce

Cheddar Cheese –  derived from cow or goat or soy

1 radish (optional)

1.5 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – use the left over from the Hawaiian Chicken

Salsa

Bragg Hawaiian Fat Free Dressing and Marinade

Instructions

1. Slice and Dice Avocado, Tomato, and Mango.
2. Dice chicken and warm on skillet over medium heat.  Set chicken aside.
3. Heat Tortilla(s) on a skillet over medium heat.
4. When tortilla starts to bubble ( is heated through), flip tortilla, sprinkle cheese on the hot side, and turn off heat.
5. As cheese begins to melt, sprinkle chicken, avocado, tomato, mango, radish (if including) and black beans.
6. If using flour tortillas, roll into a “burrito”: fold the bottom 1/8 of the tortilla on top of the chicken and other stuffings.  Fold in the sides  of the burrito and roll the tortilla into a log.
7. Set on the side of the grill and make one for each person.
8. If using corn tortillas, serve as a taco
9. If using lettuce (and I used tortillas for the kids and lettuce for me):
   1. Warm chicken and beans.
   2. Sprinkle cheese in lettuce cup
   3. Add chicken and beans
   4. Top with avocado, tomato and mango, salsa, and Hawaiian dressing.

10. Serve – with carbs or without!

Pre-Prep Opportunities

1.  Make tacos as the second chicken meal of the week.  Prepare all chicken at the beginning of the week, storing leftovers in the refrigerator for later use.

2. Cut Mango, pepper, tomato, radish, and chicken ahead of time.  Store in refrigerator until ready to use.