Double Ranch Chicken and Green Bean Bites

Family game nights are a big thing at my house. The four of us can be pretty competitive, which became more than obvious years ago when I did not let my then, three-year old son, win at the game of Sorry. Uh…let’s just say he was NOT having it. That was also the moment I realized the competitive nature in our household had been passed through DNA and into my kids. I was okay with it because it meant we were going to have some good games over the years. I was right.

Now, many, many moons later, my boys have outgrown most of the game boards and for the life of me I can’t seem to beat anyone at Monopoly anyway. There is something about that game that has me in jail almost the whole time. I also never catch a break when it comes to buying the good properties.

However, everyone loves family poker night. It turns out I have also passed on the art of giving a good “poker face”. We usually play for candy or pennies and nickels, but most importantly we are in it for bragging rights. That’s what everyone wants the most.

And here’s the thing, I am not really the person to just open a bag of chips for game night. My family wants something substantial, something yummy and familiar that does not require a fork and knife. Have you ever tried to keep your cards hidden while cutting up a piece of food? I think not.

Instead, I try to make something quick and easy that can be picked up without getting your hands (and therefore cards and poker chips) dirty.

I’ll tell you another one of my lazy secrets…I absolutely dislike dipping my chicken in the dipping trifecta of flour, egg, breadcrumbs. It’s time consuming, wasteful and messy. That’s when I began using Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix and Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressing to coat my chicken. It’s so much easier and tastes better too.

With this particular dish I serve the bites with extra Ranch dressing for dipping. The recipe also calls for 2 pounds of green beans, which will be more than you need for the chicken. However, these extra beans become the perfect side dish served upright in a glass jar and dipped into the extra Ranch dressing you have on the table. No one will even notice the beans are not covered in butter as you might usually serve them. The beans also taste great at room temperature so there is no worry in keeping them warm…perfect for a game table.

And let’s not forget how kids are always willing to eat their vegetables when Ranch dressing is available for dipping. I have to admit, it does make most things taste better.

These will also be on my New Year’s Eve menu because they are perfect for all ages. And if you have a little one, they are a great help at putting the chicken and beans together on the toothpick.

I hope you will enjoy this fun and easy recipe. It will enable you to enjoy more time with the family and give them a healthier choice during your own game night festivities.

Bonus tip….when I do pull out the bag of chips for game night snacking, tortilla chips are usually our first choice. Obviously tortilla chips and salsa are the perfect match, however if you are looking to elevate your dipping, mix your salsa together with Ranch dressing (1 cup salsa & 1/3 cup Ranch). Oh my gosh, you’ll never go back to eating plain salsa again.

Be sure to visit Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Disclosure: I have been compensated for my time in creating this recipe. As always, opinions in this post are 100% my own.