Dinner (and lunch!) made easy! Make up a batch of this BBQ Chicken Salad with Ranch to serve as a sandwich on a busy night, then turn it into wraps for the kids’ lunches the next day.
This post is sponsored by Kroger
If you all follow me on Facebook, you know that I sometimes struggle with making lunches. It’s just that I never really feel very creative. But now that it’s back to school time, I’ve got lunches on the brain again.
For myself, when I’m at home, I’m totally ok eating leftovers, just heated up. But my kids? Not so much. So I’ll usually end up making them something new, which isn’t always easy or convenient for me.
So I decided to try to find a way to disguise those leftovers. A way to get them to eat those leftovers. And I wanted something that would be great to send in a lunchbox to school.
I’m excited to announce that I am partnering up with Kroger to bring you a few posts – this first one all about that school lunch. Making it quick and easy, and something that the kids will love! But do you know what would make it even better? If it starts with dinner the night before!
Since it’s back to school time, which means that life is crazy as everyone settles into a new routine, I know that dinnertime often gets put on the back burner and isn’t the biggest priority. So when we have days like that, I like to resort to sandwiches. They are fast, easy, and frankly – my whole family loves them. This sandwich was a total winner at our house – and by starting with a shredded Kroger Wholesome @ Home Rotisserie Chicken, this seriously came together in about 10 minutes – or 15-20 minutes if you count the time it takes to shred the chicken. Talk about an easy weeknight dinner. And who can resist the ranch/bbq combination? I know I can’t!
This recipes makes enough for 4 sandwiches for dinner, with leftover chicken salad to make into wraps for the next day. Now, I know that this isn’t re-inventing the wheel, and going from a sandwich to a wrap isn’t wildly different, but to kids, it is. In fact, I think my daughter actually liked the wrap the next day even better! I love turning it into a wrap for several reasons. Mostly because you can make them the night before and pack the lunch so that you don’t have to worry about rushing the next morning. I loved the avocado on the sandwich, but opted to leave it out of the wrap because I didn’t want to end up with brown, mushy avocado the next day. And the bacon is optional, depending on if it’s something your kids like or not.
To finish out the lunch box, I found all kinds of Kroger products that my kids go crazy for. Extreme Fusion Tropical Punch, the Private Selection Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (I go crazy for those, too!), and a Kroger granola bar. Round it out with some fresh fruit, or Kroger even makes individually packaged applesauce or yogurt tubes that are perfect for school lunches. Let me tell you – this was the easiest lunch box I’ve ever put together, and both of my kids loved everything in it!
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded Kroger Wholesome @ Home Rotisserie Chicken
- 1/2 cup Private Selection Classic Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup Kroger Original Barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- 12 slices bacon cooked
- for sandwiches: 8 slices bread sliced avocado
- for wraps: 4 tortillas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, celery and cheese. Mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For sandwiches - Top each sandwich with some of the chicken salad mixture, 2 slices of bacon and some sliced avocado.
- For wraps, place one piece of bacon across each tortilla, then top with the chicken salad. Wrap up the tortilla.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
I seriously LOVE chicken salad, I make it all the time! I love this barbeque version, though. Can’t wait to try it!
Nutmeg Nanny says
My husband is going to flip when he bites into this 🙂 oh goodness, it looks perfect!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow!
Melanie @ Just Some Salt and Pepper says
This chicken salad sounds delicious!
Joanne says
I literally JUST wrote a post about such a similar thing! Fun sandwiches RULE.
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
This is definitely something kids will love!
Jennifer @ Mother Thyme says
These look great! I love this combo. I could definitely eat this for lunch everyday!
Chels R. says
What a fun lunch! I love Kroger! We don’t have a Kroger in Oregon, but we have a Fred Meyers which is owned by Kroger…so it’s kind of the same thing, lol!
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
I love shredded chicken any which way I can have it. I love that this recipes would have leftovers too. I love leftover chicken salad, the flavors really come together after a day or two! Sliced avocados on the sandwich – YUM!
Belinda @themoonblushbaker says
I love BBQ chicken because of that wrap right there. not only a satisfying dinner but instant lunch. i often do two chicken one to eat and the other to get cold for lunches, your family is so lucky to get this made for them.
cassie says
Love this twist on chicken salad, Deborah! I make chicken/tuna salad all the time for lunches and I know my husband will love the bbq/ranch flavors!
Tracey says
Awwww I miss Kroger – we don’t have them here in the northeast, but I used to shop there when I lived in Nashville. Absolutely loving these wraps – such a great way to repurpose leftovers!
Tieghan says
My grocery store here in Colorado is Kroger and I love buying Kroger products, I thick they are a great store! I am excited about your upcoming post for them!
Also, I am loving this sandwich for dinner and wrap for lunch idea! what a great use of leftovers that everyone will enjoy! Sound so good!
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
It’s funny how a recipe or dish can be perceived differently by just one little change. Even as an adult, sometimes I’d say wraps are more fun! But then again, sometimes I really just want a sandwich. 🙂 Luckily with this awesome bbq ranch chicken salad recipe of yours, I can have both! 😀
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I’m past getting lunches ready but I do remember being exhausted and dragging myself to the kitchen and wondering what I was going to fix at 11:30 at night. This sandwich would have made everyone in my family happy.