Kicked-Up Chicken-Macaroni Salad

Kicked-Up Chicken-Macaroni Salad 1.25 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning 1 Tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil 1 lb dry, elbow macaroni 1/2 cup Jalapeno Ranch salad dressing ( I prefer Litehouse brand) 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 stalks (8 oz) celery, diced 1 (7 oz) red bell pepper, diced 1 (1.5 oz) jalapeno, seeded and deveined, chopped 1/2 (4 oz) red onion (soaked in cold water until needed. See recipe notes), chopped 3 stalks (1.5 oz) green onion, sliced (green and white part) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 a bag (4.5 oz) Jalapeno Fritos chips or regular Fritos Season chicken breasts with taco seasoning and brush with oil. Grill chicken until temperatures reaches 165 degrees F. Let cool. Once cool cut into 1" pieces and set aside. Cook the macaroni in a large amount of salted, boiling water until it is cooked a little beyond al dente according to package directions. In a medium bowl stir together Jalapeno Ranch dressing, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Combine until smooth. In a very large bowl, toss together macaroni, dressing, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion, green onion, cilantro and chicken. Pour Fritos over the top of the macaroni salad right before serving. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. This salad will keep unrefrigerated for 4 hours, or up to a week refrigerated. Notes: I like to grill up chicken for this recipe the night before. I make a large batch for dinner and save what I need for this salad. Cook once, eat twice. Soaking the red onion in cold water removes some if its bite and makes it more pleasant when served raw in a cold salad like this. Soaking for at least 15 minutes is ideal. If the salad has been refrigerated for more than a few hours, it may lose its creaminess. Toss it with a little mayo or more jalapeno ranch dressing until creamy again. The Fritos are the glue that ties this delicious dish all together. I highly suggest not leaving them out. If by chance you do not include them, you might need to season with salt for a little extra flavor. If you cannot find Jalapeno Ranch dressing, substitute Avocado Ranch instead. Chicken can be made the day before and cooled in the refrigerator. I like to grill a large batch of chicken the night before for dinner and use the leftovers for this salad. Cook once, eat twice.