Leftover grilled chicken = my favorite salad ever

One of my favorite salads ever is a barbecue grilled chicken over greens with veggies and ranch dressing.  Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen both make amazing, if not high in fat and money, versions.  Since I had leftover chicken from last night, I decided to take a break from the pb&j monotony.  I happened to have a little bit (read: only enough for one person) of green leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, leftover corn and ranch dressing.

I started making it in a bowl and realized that when I get a salad at a restaurant, it often comes on a plate.  I think, mentally, if I fill a dinner plate with salad I will feel more like I am eating a real meal, not just salad.  So the bowl went away and the dinner plate came out.  I added the greens, tomatoes, corn and chicken and threw on a few croutons.  I drizzled a little bit of bbq sauce and then ranch dressing on top of the salad.  It looked beautiful and not much different than ones I have had in a restaurant except maybe half the size.  They always throw more ingredients in, but I am not sure that makes it tastier.  Well, maybe some black beans would have improved it a little.  By the end of my salad, I was satisfied and there was barely any dressing on my plate.  I am so used to having pools of dressing sitting in the bowl or plate when I am finished that I was a little surprised.  But you know what?  It tasted better and crisper without all that extra dressing weighing the lettuce down.  I think next time I will nix the croutons with this salad.