#portill

This past friday was a significant day. All of my roommates packed up and left me alone in my apartment for the summer. The silence quickly set in, besides the pitter patter and excessive barking from my 9 month old pup. No better time to start cooking than the present.

For love of all things Chicago, Portillos is one of them. My roommate Nicole happens to be the only one of us from Chicago, so I entrust with her that that comment is valid. On a road trip this past winter we found ourselves within proximity to this worshiped Chicago restaurant and had to get our fix. One bite of the Portillos chopped salad and I was sold. It was a cruel and beautiful moment right there, knowing that this was going to be the last time I had this chopped salad till I returned to Chicago. 

This brings me to today, still void of another Portillos chopped salad and in dire need of its deliciousness, and at my first blog post as a foodie. 

The Ingredients:

3 Cups of Romaine Lettuce

2 Cups of Iceberg Lettuce

2.5 Cups of Red Cabbage

1 Cup of Green Onions

2 Tomatoes, Diced

4 Cups of cooked Elbow Macaroni ( Ditalini Pasta was unavailable at my supermarket)

1 Cup of Cooked Bacon (Chopped)

4 Ounces of Gorgonzola Cheese

2 Chicken breasts Cooked, Chopped Finely

Now this is what a salad should look like. It tasted as good as it looks. I cannot take all the credit for this creation, as I got the recipe from a fellow bloggers website (http://christinetrevino.com/2011/12/07/christines-copycat-recipe-of-portillos-chopped-salad/). I cannot wait to make this salad again and again... and again.