Buffalo Chicken Salad

Last August, I made this great side salad that Carl and I swore we couldn't wait to try doctored up as a main course.  Fast forward 10 months and we finally got around to trying it!  I must say, it was even better as dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad - the dinner version

1 box Ronzoni Smart Taste 2.5x the fiber pasta
1 large red onion
5 stalks celery
3 cans cooked chunk chicken
1 bottle Franks Red Hot Wings buffalo sauce
1 bottle Walden Farms zero calorie bleu cheese dressing

Boil noodles according to directions on box.

While noodles are boiling, chop onion and celery.  Combine chopped onion, chopped celery stalks, and chicken chunks in a large bowl.  Pour about half of each dressing jar into the bowl and mix well.  After draining the cooked noodles, place in bowl, cover with the remaining dressing, and stir until the mixture is well incorporated.  You can either enjoy now or refrigerate and enjoy later!  Like I mentioned in the first post, the dish is spicier if you serve it warm right away - so dig in if you love that zing!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Oh my goodness.  You must make these!  Of course yesterday was the BCS football game so I figured I'd try out a new recipe involving buffalo chicken.  And this turned out to be a winner!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
(adapted from this recipe)

1 10oz can red chile enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (I got Hooter's medium sauce at the grocery store)
1 12.5oz can white chicken breast, drained and shredded
1 cup 2% Mexican shredded cheese blend - divided use
1 cup fresh, coarsely chopped cilantro - divided use    
7 or 8 tortilla shells
1.5 - 2oz gorgonzola cheese
2 green onions, chopped 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Mix together the enchilada sauce and wing sauce; set aside.

Place the chicken and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese in a bowl.   Add a heaping 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped cilantro.  Mix well.

Drizzle the baking dish with some of the sauce mixture.  Place between 3 or 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each tortilla shell and roll closed, placing the seam side facing down.  Pour remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of shredded cheese on top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

After removing enchiladas from the oven, sprinkle the gorgonzola cheese on top.  I used about two medium sized handfuls of the crumbly cheese.  Garnish with the remaining 1/2 cup of cilantro and green onions.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!!     
  

Football Sunday Side

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago.  After I tasted it, I kept thinking how it would be such a great side dish to bring to a football party or even a potluck.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
(adapted from this recipe)

Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 jar blue cheese salad dressing
1 red onion
5 stalks celery
2-3 cans of Tyson's premium chunk chicken (I used 2 cans since I was serving it as a side.  If you wanted to use this recipe as a main dish, I would use 3 cans.)
1 box noodles of your choice