Yahoo Lifestyle 'A Surprising 2-Ingredient Dressing Is the Secret to This Bob Evans Wildfire Chicken Salad Copycat Recipe'
Many moons ago, if it were the weekend, you could find me at Bob Evans. No, not enjoying a big breakfast or special occasion brunch; I was serving it! I spent five years as a waitress "down on the farm" and to this day, some of my customers' favorites are recipes I have found ways to make at home. Like this Bob Evans Wildfire Chicken Salad.
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One of the biggest sellers in the warm summer months, his hearty salad was filled with fresh ingredients, topped with chicken and developed after the debut of their Wildfire Barbecue Sauce. Sadly, the sauce isn't sold anymore, but I found a way to still have this tasty salad any time I want with the copycat recipe.
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For an easy weeknight meal, I used pre-cooked frozen chicken strips. You can find them in the frozen meats, next to the wings. They are fully cooked, all-natural and a great time saver. If you happen to have some leftover grilled chicken, however, that would work well too.
What Is the Dressing in the Bob Evans Wildfire Chicken Salad?
This Tex-Mex salad is filled with tons of flavor from the corn, black beans, tomatoes and onions. But the secret to its huge success was always the dressing served with it. The customers raved about it, and were always so curious about what was in it. Are you ready for the big secret? You won't believe something so delicious and popular could be so easy. It was a half-and-half mix of the Wildfire Barbecue Sauce and ranch dressing. That's it! Since that sauce isn't available anymore (I'm not sure about in the restaurant, but I know they stopped selling it years ago), your favorite barbecue sauce will be a great substitute. I have used many different brands—whatever I have on hand—and each has worked well.
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This Wildfire Chicken Salad is one of the best copycat recipes I've made and also one of the easiest. It would be a terrific light supper after a long day.
More Copycat Recipes To Try
Ingredients
4 Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
1 (12-oz) bag frozen corn, thawed
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (22-oz) bag frozen grilled chicken strips
1 (3.5-oz) bag tri-color tortilla strips
½ cup barbecue sauce
½ cup ranch dressing
In a small bowl combine barbecue sauce and ranch.
Set aside.
Cook chicken according to package directions.
On 4 large dinner plates, split all salad ingredients evenly.
Top with chicken pieces.
Serve with dressing on side.
