The Scoop
Saddle Salad combines roasted peppers and creamy salsa for a hearty delight.
Starting off in a cramped dorm room with just a hot plate and a love for spicy flavors, I discovered Saddle Salad during my first wild attempt to improvise a meal after a night of studying for midterms. Always keeping a pack of crispy chicken strips in the mini fridge, I was searching for something quick yet gratifying. Poblano peppers were a staple in my makeshift pantry. Roasting them over my tiny oven, their smoky scent filling the room, always made me feel like a kitchen alchemist. The slight char gave my makeshift salad a depth that was worth every minute of waiting and watching them roast on foil.
Experimentation was the name of the game, and cream cheese became my unexpected ally in this journey. I started blending it with salsa to create a smooth, spicy dressing. It was surprising how the cream cheese tamed the heat without extinguishing it, creating a delightful harmony that danced with the roasted peppers. Tossing in some al dente elbow macaroni gave the salad a heartiness that kept me going through late-night cramming sessions. And let’s not forget the avocado, ready to steal the show with its creamy texture, beautifully complementing each bite. The key is to let those roasted peppers rest before peeling—trust me, it makes the task so much easier.
The Saddle Salad turned into my unofficial mascot for resilience, always reminding me of that moment when I learned to embrace the spice and unpredictability of life and cooking. It marked my emergence from microwave meals to venturing bravely into the delicious unknown.
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise
- 1 (25-ounce) package frozen fully-cooked crispy chicken strips
- 8 ounces dried large elbow macaroni
- 1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (7-ounce) can salsa taquera or 3/4 cup salsa
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the peppers, cut-side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast the peppers until their skin has blistered and charred, about 20 minutes.
- Bring the foil up around each of the peppers and fold the edges together to enclose them.
- Let the peppers stand until they are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the skins and gently pull them off and discard.
- Discard the stems, seeds, and the membranes from the peppers.
- Chop the peppers.
- While the peppers are cooling, cook the chicken according to the package directions.
- Also while the peppers are cooling, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the macaroni and rinse it well under cold water.
- Cut the cooked chicken into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and 1/2 of the salsa and beat with an electric mixer on low speed, gradually beating in the remaining salsa, until it is combined.
- Add the chopped peppers and the cooked macaroni to the salsa mixture and toss to combine.
- Gently fold the avocado and the chicken pieces into the salsa mixture.
- Serve.
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