Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wrap...Think Flat Branch!

Bacon, marinated grilled chicken, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes wrapped in a tortilla with ranch salsa sauce...what's not to love about the Bacon and Chicken Wrap at Flat Branch Pub & Brewery here in Co, MO?  So, in an attempt to recreate one of our favorite dishes, I came up with what I call the Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wrap.  We were pretty excited to discover tonight that it holds its own with our local fav!  I can't wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. 

Kid Tip:  My kids aren't into wraps yet (and I'm not quite sure how they'd handle one anyway).  So, I used the cheese, chicken, and bacon and made them a quesadilla instead.  Just threw it on the George Foreman grill for a few minutes after grilling the chicken.

Freezer Tip:  I actually made these for my freezer club.  Obviously, you can't freeze the lettuce or tomato, but I packaged the following items individually and froze them:  uncooked marinated chicken, cooked bacon pieces, cheese, ranch salsa, and tortillas.  After thawing everything, all I had to do was grill the chicken, cut it up, and cut up the veggies.  Easy-peasy.

Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wrap

Makes: 4-6 wraps

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Southwest Chicken Marinade (see recipe below)
Southwest Ranch Sauce (see recipe below)
8 pieces bacon, baked or fried, crumbled
½ c cheddar cheese (could sub Mexican cheese blend)
½ c mozzarella cheese (could sub Jack or Mexican cheese blend)
shredded lettuce
tomatoes, diced
4-6 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
Marinate chicken thighs for 1 hour or longer in fridge. Grill over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink inside).  Let meat rest and then slice into long, thin pieces.

To assemble wrap:  Add grilled chicken pieces, bacon pieces, some of each kind of cheese, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes to each tortilla.   Roll up like a burrito.  Dip in Southwest Ranch Sauce (or add inside the wrap).

Southwest Chicken Marinade:
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
4 teaspoons chili powder (I used 1 T chili powder and 1 tsp ancho chili powder)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

Southwest Ranch Sauce:
About 1/2 cup ranch dressing (my favorite is Annie's Organic Buttermilk Dressing)
About 1/2 cup salsa (used half mild and half medium heat)