Though 5 of us took care of most of the grilled chicken, I was still left with some leftover. Thankfully, when I saw my grandma over the 4th of July , she gave me a recipe to try that needed some precooked chicken. I wholeheartedly trust my grandma's advice when it comes to recipes, so I had no doubt this would be a tasty salad. This was similar to my favorite Mexican salad, but even easier to put together and perfect for a rushed weeknight.

This recipe is adopted from Real Simple and can easily be adapted to fit your tastes or preferred ingredients. My variation is below, but my grandma mentioned including tomatoes in hers and I know my sister added corn to hers. I wanted to include both, but my refrigerator wasn't as well stocked as I originally thought! Even so, Ryan cleaned his plate and got up from the table declaring "good dinner Nat". Success.

PS. I think this is my new favorite dressing! I LOVED it and will definitely make it again for other salads!

Southwest Chicken Salad
adapted from Real Simple
*makes 2 large dinner salads


Ingredients:
-2 heads of romaine, chopped
-1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
-1 sliced red bell pepper
-1/2 cup canned (& rinsed) black beans
-1/3 cup light sour cream
-1 lime, juiced
-1/4 tsp chili powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-tortilla chips (optional)
-feta cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Divide romaine among two plates. Top with chicken, bell pepper, and black beans.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, and salt. Pour dressing evenly over salads.
3. If desired, top salads with crushed tortilla chips and feta cheese.