On a hot day, if you ever need to have something cool or cold to eat that you've prepared ahead of time, then this recipe is for you. I've found this to be a favorite choice of sandwich at home on those days when everyone has a different schedule and we won't be eating dinner together or for our second day on our beach trip. I prepare the filling and keep it in Tupperware until it gets wrapped in a tortilla with a bit of lettuce. Hint: If taking this dish in a cooler, store it in a piece of Tupperware with a round seal. All Tupperware is guaranteed to be air-tight, but the containers with round seals are guaranteed to be liquid tight! That way as the ice melts in your cooler, none of the water will get into your food.
I like using the rotisserie chickens in different dishes because the combination of dark and white meat tends to give more flavor and the smoky goodness of the bacon just adds that extra touch to this recipe. My guys and everyone else I have served this to, give it 8's and 9's when rating it. I also love how easy it is to serve when my guys are ready to eat.
As it take a while to cook, I begin by cooking the bacon. When a recipe calls for crumbled bacon, I like to cut the raw bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and throw them into a saucepan to cook. This way the pieces are more uniform in size and they seem to cook faster without running the risk of overcooking.
In the first photo, you can see how the pieces are still clumped together as I cut them, but in the photo above, you can see that as they cook and I stir them occasionally, the pieces break apart nicely.
Once the bacon is fully cooked, I remove the pieces to a paper towel to soak up any extra fat. I line a small bowl with foil and pour the bacon grease from the pan into it. This way, when it hardens, I can remove it in the foil and throw it away and I don't even have to wash the bowl!
I like to always have on hand the meat of a rotisserie chicken. I usually buy one every time I go to Costco, let it sit on the counter to cool for an hour or so, then remove the skin and take the meat off the bones. I then freeze it in a zip lock bag. This way, whenever I have a dish I want to make using a rotisserie chicken, all I have to do is defrost the chicken and I'm ready to use it. For this dish, I placed the chicken in a large bowl and added the green onions, tossing to combine.
I then shredded the Monterey Jack cheese and added it to the chicken and onions, tossing to combine.
By that time, the bacon was cool enough to add to the chicken mixture. Again, I tossed to combine.
The Ranch dressing was the last ingredient to be added. I'm not a huge fan of Ranch dressing, so the first time I made this dish I only added enough dressing to coat the other ingredients. It really lacked flavor, so I kept adding more dressing until it tasted good. The second time I made it, I used the cup of dressing the recipe called for and that was perfect. It wasn't dry and it was flavorful, but didn't scream Ranch dressing.
That's all there is to it. It's ready to be placed in a flour tortilla with a bit of lettuce! On the beach, each person takes a tortilla, places it in their hand and I scoop some of the chicken mixture on to each one. The recipe had a tip that it can also be heated in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds after being placed on the tortilla, but we've only eaten it cold. It's a refreshing cold sandwich on a hot day! Enjoy!
Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps
1 rotisserie
chicken, coarsely shredded
1 1/2 cups
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz.)
8 slices
cooked bacon, chopped (about ½ cup)
1/3 cup
chopped green onions
1 cup Ranch
dressing
1 pkg. flour
tortillas, soft taco size
shredded
lettuce, optional
In a large
bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. To assemble sandwich, place
approx. 1/3 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of one tortilla, add lettuce
to your liking. Roll up burrito
style and enjoy.
The chicken
mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for quick snacks for the kids.
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