Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad

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#SundaySupper is inviting you to a picnic! I’ve combined so many favorite flavors into one satisfying recipe that’s still healthy because it’s made with Greek yogurt. Perfect on a sandwich, on a salad, or just on a plate, for a cool dinner or lunch all week, mix up some Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad.

Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad

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So I always heard those stories about parents who spend their weekends running their kids from one thing to another and barely getting time to breathe, and I am finally getting my first taste of it. We have had houseguests for three of the past five weekends, but the two free weekends, well, let’s just say “free” is relative. The one free weekend was Easter weekend, and Saturday was karate to Easter egg hunt to birthday party, leaving the house at 8:45 am and not returning till about 6 in the evening. Sunday was, well, Easter, and even though it was low key, it was still church, brunch, and bike riding with the kiddos.

The you have this weekend. Last night after work and school for everyone, the boys needed haircuts and new shoes. Since we were at the mall, we had dinner there and let the kids play at the indoor play area, lest we get ourselves mired in traffic from everyone fleeing DC on Friday evening. So it was a late bedtime for the dudes.

This morning, I got up at 6 am to go for a 4 mile run/1 1/4 mile walk (don’t ask – wrong turn) while The Hubby got the kids up and fed. Then we did actually have couple hours to do a few things around the house while the boys played, but then it was into the tee ball uniform, and off to the game. After the game, The Bug ate lunch in the car as The Hubby drove him to Opening Day Ceremonies while I brought Little Dude home for lunch and to grab a smoothie for myself. Then The Bug came home, we ripped off his uniform, threw on shorts and headed out the door to a birthday party, for which we were 30 minutes late. Ugh! Luckily we we go there the kids were just roaming the party room waiting for pizza before they had cake and headed to the rides and arcade of the next three hours. I texted The Hubby as we left and he started dinner.

We came home, ate, bathed a couple of sweaty, nasty boys, got their sweaty, nasty laundry washing, got them to bed, and yes, right now, over 18,000 steps later, I’m pretty much about to pass out. Or, you know, finish up this blog post that I never got to this week and then hang out on my couch with a couple of friends named Ben and Jerry. Oh, but wait, two more loads of laundry to finish.

And this is mainly just for one kid. I’m a little scared about what it will be like with the two of them! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – God bless those of you who have three or four or more! I am in awe and admiration!

But next weekend all we have is one early Saturday morning tee ball game and then we are free FREE FREEEEEE! Maybe, just maybe we will pack the boys and some lunch and go have picnic at the park. Or heck, maybe we will head to the Mall in DC (I’ve been daydreaming about picnicking amongst the monuments since the snowy day that we moved to Maryland). And maybe, just maybe I’ll pack some of this into our cooler…

So let me tell you something, if there is a recipe that gets my kids to eat quinoa, you know it’s good. And I’m not just talking about just eating it when they are home with me because if they want a snack they have to eat at least a reasonable portion of their dinner. I’m talking about, they ate it at school for lunch, without mom watching! But really, what kid doesn’t love these flavors? It’s Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad! Inspired by my Bacon Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad, I took a few of my kids’ favorites – a slight variation of my Pantry Greek Yogurt Ranch (I happened to have fresh dill and parsley, but you can still use dried), our favorite barbecue sauce, and a bit of shredded cheddar cheese – and mixed it all up with some cooked and cooled quinoa and leftover chicken, and there ya’ go. Dinner (or lunch or random snack) is served! All whole grain and gluten free and high protein and healthy-like, but it takes like barbecue and ranch and yum!!!

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Then get inspiration from appetizers and sides to mains and desserts for all of your summer picnicking fun at the bottom of this post!

How do you or did you juggle all of your kids’ activities?

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5 from 2 votes

Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad

A healthy combination of your favorite flavors that is perfect for a cool dinner or lunches all week.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

For Barbecue Ranch Dressing:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

For Chicken Salad:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa cooled
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken cooled
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese about 2 oz.
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes or halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, olive oil, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, dill, and barbecue sauce, and stir until combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chicken, and cheddar cheese.
• Add the barbecue ranch dressing and stir to combine.
• Add the tomatoes and gently toss.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 322 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 678mg28%

Potassium 409mg12%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 335IU7%

Vitamin C 4.5mg5%

Calcium 199mg20%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Here are some more quinoa chicken combos you won’t be able to resist…

• Mango Avocado Quinoa Chicken Salad
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole
• Strawberry Lime Quinoa Chicken Salad

Plus the rest of today’s #SundaySupper Picnic menu…

Appetizers:

• Caprese Skewers by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Crisp Cucumber Salsa with Southwest Style Chips by Momma’s Meals
• French Onion Dip, with Greek Yogurt by Casa de Crews
• Mediterranean Spiced Hummus by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Pepperoni Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Watermelon Salad by annaDishes

Beverages:

• Blackberry Lemonade by The Redhead Baker
• Blueberry Mojito Mocktails by NeighborFood
• Grandma’s Stuff by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Minty Cardinal Punch by Food Lust People Love
• Pineapple Ginger Lemonade Spiked with Turmeric by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sangria Punch by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade by Noshing With The Nolands

Main Dishes:

• Avocado Sriracha Egg Salad by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Barbecue Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Boneless Chicken Wings by Nosh My Way
• Burger Ice Cream by Brunch with Joy
• Chicken Salad Sliders by Life Tastes Good
• Spanish tortilla by Caroline’s Cooking

Sides:

• Broccoli & Tomato Pasta Salad by Flour On My Face
• Buffalo Macaroni Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Couscous Veggie Salad with Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Granola Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Greek Style Asparagus Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• No Mayo Slaw with Poppyseed Dressing by Palatable Pastime
• Spiralized Beet and Goat Cheese Salad by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Sweet and Tangy Brussels Coleslaw with Fennel, Chopped Apples and Golden Raisins by Simply Healthy Family

Soups and Salads:

• Barley and Rice Salad by Family Foodie
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Dried Cranberries by Food Done Light
• Layered Mason Jar Pasta Salad for Two by The Weekend Gourmet
• Smoked Turkey Salad by Our Good Life
• Spinach Salad with Apples & Pecans in an Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette by Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen
• Nicoise Salad by The Petit Gourmet

Desserts:

• Bacon-Bulleit Brownies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Fudgey Coca Cola Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Earth Day Cupcakes by Savory Experiments
• Gluten Free Cookie Bars by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Lemon Lime Pound Cake by Vintage Kitchen
• Lemon Yuzu Cookies by NinjaBaker.com
• Mini Lemon Chess Pies by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• No-Bake Cookie Butter Chex Mix Bars by Wallflour Girl
• Peanut Butter Bars by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Peanut Butter Carob Bars by Pies and Plots
• Sourdough Chunk Cookies by What Smells So Good?