It’s no secret that I am a fan of Cafe Rio – especially their Chicken Tostada salad.  It used to only be served as a Wednesday special, and I actually planned my travel to Salt Lake around being there on a Wednesday for lunch or dinner.

I guess it proved popular enough that it is now a regular menu item, and every time I visit Salt Lake I make at least 2 visits to one of the several locations.  Kennedy says they make the BEST quesadilla EVER (and, even better – they serve kids quesedilla’s for free).

Seattle has a lot of great Asian food.  And the best Italian restaurant on the planet (well, that I’ve tried).  But no Cafe Rio.  And no decent substitute.

So when I discovered Cafe Rio copy-cat recipes, I just had to give them a try.

The results?   SUCCESS!

Here’s the recipe (I halved everything except the dressing, and it made about 8 servings):

CHICKEN

• 5 lbs chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 1 sm bottle zesty Italian dressing + 1/4 cup water
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 5-7 hours.  Remove chicken and shred. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken.  Keep warm.

LIME RICE
In a large pot, bring to a boil the following:

• 6 2/3 cups water
• 8 t chicken bullion
• 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 sm cans diced green chilies (I used mild)
• 1 T lime juice
• 1/2 t pepper
• 3  – 3 1/2 cups of rice

Cover and simmer on low for approx 15 minutes, or til water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit for an additional 5 – 15 minutes.

In a saucepan, saute:

• 2 T butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Stir into rice before serving.

PICO DE GALLO

• 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t lime juice
• 1 t salt1/2 t pepper

CREAMY TOMATILLO DRESSING

• 1 pkg Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix (I didn’t use the entire pkg)
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1 C Mayo
• 1 to 2 tomatillos
• 1/2 to 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 t lime juice
• 1/2 to 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed!

Other ingredients

• Black beans (I actually soaked them overnight and cooked for an hour before serving – but canned black beans work too).
• Sour Cream
• Chopped or shredded romaine lettuce
• Round corn tostada shells
• Tortilla strips for the top
• Grated Cheddar cheese
• Lime wedges
• Fresh Cilantro
• Grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place corn tostada shell in a metal or foil pie plate. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup black beans on top.  Top with shredded chicken and a little grated cheese.

Pop under the broiler for a couple of minutes, til cheese melts.   It should look something like this when you take it out of the oven.

Then top with lettuce, pico de gallo, tortilla chips, a few sprigs of cilantro and a little grated cotija or parmesan.

Add a scoop of sour cream and lime wedge on the side – and pour on the Creamy Tomatillo dressing (I like to use a lot).

Enjoy!