Cooking with Hidden Valley Ranch-Kat’s Asiago Spicy Ranch Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

There’s no dressing I love more than Hidden Valley Ranch and now there’s even more creamy ranch goodness to love with the introduction of two brand new varieties of Ranch! To celebrate the introduction of new Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch and Hidden Valley Cheesy Ranch, Hidden Valley is hosting an incredible recipe contest with a grand prize of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of fifteen food-loving and recipe bloggers to create my very own recipe using Hidden Valley Ranch for the contest. The recipes will be judged by celebrity chef Ned Bell and the top recipe will even be showcased by Ned at the 2012 Calgary Stampede!

I received a recipe creation kit containing Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and a grocery gift card to help me invent my recipe. I decided to create a main dish that combined the heat of the new Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Dressing with the tropical flavours of summertime. Without further ado, here is my recipe!

Kat’s Asiago Spicy Ranch Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing

Salsa:

• 1 mango, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper in large shallow bowl.
3. Dip chicken pieces in dressing to coat, allow excess to drip off.
4. Coat chicken in breadcrumb mixture and place on roasting rack or large foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until chicken is cooked.
6. While chicken is cooking, gently combine mango, avocado, tomatoes, coconut oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Leave salsa at room temperature, tossing gently once or twice, until chicken is done.
8. Serve chicken with salsa on the side.

Serves Six

I tend to be a little bit “mad scientist” when I cook; I combine things that I love with a blind hope that they’ll go together well. I was a little worried about whether the flavours of the dish would blend well together but after my first bite, I was hooked. The sweetness of the mango, spiciness of the dressing, tender chicken and creamy avocado were the perfect pairing. And the exotic flavour of the coconut oil added the perfect tropical finish to the dish.

Best of all, the meal is so easy! The chicken bakes up to crispy perfection in just thirty minutes and the flavourful salsa uses only five ingredients! If you’re looking for a fun weekday meal, why not pick up a bottle of new Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing and give this a try? I’d love to hear what you think!

What’s your favourite way to cook with Hidden Valley Ranch?