Chopped BBQ Ranch Salad with Cheetos

What’s better than a chopped salad with BBQ-ranch dressing? One with crushed Cheetos as croutons!

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I freaking love Cheetos. 

I don’t remember the moment at which they came into my life, because as long as I can remember I have loved them. Superior to cheese balls, or cheese puffs, the crunchy variety reigns king in the heart of my taste buds. 

I do have memories of eating an entire bag in one sitting, letting that cheese dust slowly build on my index finger and thumb until the very end. Only then would I scrape that salty cheesy goodness off with my teeth. The prize for finishing the entire bag.

It’s because of such memories that I cannot keep Cheetos in the house. I usually will rely on those mini bags appearing at various events to get my fix in a pre-portioned amount. But all this madness in the world required a full bag. 

So how did I make this bag last more than an hour, standing in the kitchen with the bag open amongst all my other groceries, waiting to be put away? I decided to include it in a recipe!

Now this isn’t the first time (nor the last) that I have featured Cheetos on my blog. I have made:

• Caramelized Cheetos
• Cheese Doodle Sushi
• Cheetos Cheeseburgers
• Cheetos Cookies
• Cheetos Mac and Cheese
• Cheetos Marshmallow Crispy Treats
• Spicy Cheetos Crusted Chicken

After a list like that, it wasn’t a difficult stretch to think of adding Cheetos to the top of a salad. Heck it basically makes sense – they are cheesy croutons!

I was actually inspired by the Doritos chopped salad. So if you’re going to be okay with serving that for dinner, then this should absolutely be on your meal plan next. 

Now I did get a little excited with some extra fancy ingredients like roasted soy nuts, chia seeds, and freeze dried sweet corn, but if you could just use peanuts and regular corn if you don’t want to deal with that. But they do add a nice extra layer of crunch that is so satisfying.

Three years ago: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cannoli

Four years ago: M at Miranova

Five years ago: Pumpkin Curry Pizza

Six years ago: Maple Apple Pie with Walnut Crumble Topping

Seven years ago: Sloppy Joses with Avocado Cream

Nine years ago: Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Peanut Butter Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar

CHOPPED BBQ RANCH SALAD WITH CHEETOS

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Yield: 2 servings Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BBQ RANCH DRESSING

• 1/4 cup prepared Ranch dressing
• 2 Tbsp favorite BBQ sauce

SALAD

• 10 oz. mixed salad greens, chopped
• 6 oz. shredded BBQ pork
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup freeze dried sweet corn (or fresh)
• 1 Tbsp roasted soy nuts (or peanuts)
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup crunchy cheese puffs (aka Cheetos), crushed

Directions

1. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
2. Place salad greens in a large bowl along with pork, avocado, carrots, corn, nuts, and chia seeds. Pour BBQ-Ranch dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with a handful of crushed Cheetos.

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