Mexican Couscous Chicken Salad
Have you ever envisioned yourself on one of those cool cooking shows on Food Network? Maybe that show Chopped? When I watch shows like that I find myself always screaming at the T.V. “No don’t add that!” or “Those flavors don’t go together!” When I’m safe within the confines of my living room, it’s easy to see all the mistakes that the contestants make, and I always envision that I would do such a better job. But the reality is, under all that pressure, I know I wouldn’t do half as good as those brave contestants do.
Lucky for people like me, Sargento is hosting a “Chopped at Home” contest, where you can develop your very own unique recipe, using the chopped ingredients, in the comfort of your own home. And to help promote this fun contest, I came up with my own quick an easy recipe using the chopped ingredients and Sargento cheese.
For this challenge, we were giving 4 ingredients: Sargento® Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican shredded cheese, boneless chicken tenders, couscous, and salsa. There’s many different recipes you could come up with using these ingredients, but I wanted to keep it very simple, light and healthy. I wanted to make an easy recipe that you could throw together in a matter of a few minutes and have as a main dish, side dish, or a make-ahead lunch.
So for this challenge, I made this quick and easy couscous salad. I love rive and quinoa salads, but hadn’t made a couscous salad yet. I started by cooking the couscous according to package directions and letting it cool. Then I added some leftover boneless skinless grilled chicken breasts cut in small chunks, some fresh salsa and a can of rinsed and drained black beans, and of course, Sargento Mexican shredded cheese. After the addition of some fresh lime juice and seasonings, this couscous salad was ready to go. Easy peasy!
Sargent cheese is my go-to brand for shredded cheese. This quick-melting blend I used in this recipe gives your cooking, delicious Mexican flavor. Their Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero cheeses add a creamy, smooth flavor to nachos, quesadillas and other Mexican specialties.
Don’t forget t check out the other Sargento products too. We also always buy their mozzarella and Colby and jack shredded cheese for recipes made during the week.
Sargent wants you to showcase your style as an at-home cook using real ingredients. Get creative and come up with your best Chopped-inspired dish featuring Sargento Shredded Cheese. The recipe can be as simple as this one or as elaborate as you can imagine. By entering your best recipe into the Chopped at Home contest, you could win $10,000! (Find contest details here)
Find more information about Sargento and their many quality products at Sargento.com.
Yield: Serves 4
Mexican Couscous Chicken Salad
5.00 stars (1 reviews)
Loading...Ingredients:
For salad:
- 1 cup Sargento® Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican shredded cheese
- 1 lb Boneless chicken tenders, chopped in bite-sized pieces and browned
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup Couscous, cooked according to package directions
- 1 batch of fresh salsa (recipe below)
- 1 can rinsed and drained black beans
- the juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
For salsa:
- 2 medium chopped fresh tomatos
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 medium finely chopped jalapeno, remove ribs and seeds for a milder salsa
- the juice of 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Season chicken with salat and pepper. Add chicken to hot skillet and cook until browned and cooked all the way through.
Cook couscous according to package directions. Prepare salsa by adding all ingredients for fresh salsa to a medium bowl and mixing well.
In a large bowl, combine Sargento® Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican shredded cheese, cooked chicken, cooked couscous, fresh salsa, drained black beans, lime juice, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to share on Instagram with the hashtag #EclecticRecipes and tag me, @EclecticRecipes!Available in 30 versatile varieties, unique blends and distinct cuts, Sargento Shredded Cheese is always cut from blocks of 100% real, natural cheese. For more inspiration, check out the Sargento Pinterest page Pinterest.com/sargentocheese/ or visit Sargento.com for more information. The Chopped at Home Challenge gives viewers a chance to create their best recipe using the selected basket ingredients, including Sargento Shredded Cheese, for a chance to win $10,000!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento. The opinions and text are all mine.
Tweet, Instagram and Pinterest, Facebook: @SargentoCheese #ChoppedAtHome #contest #RealCheesePeople #ad
