Chicken Caesar Wrap

Monique is getting married. Denise called me Tuesday with the voice — you know the voice, the voice mothers get when their daughters tell them something that makes the world stop turning for a second and then start again in a different direction. "Mama," Denise said. "James proposed." James Carter. The young man Monique has been seeing for two years, the one who teaches fourth grade at the same school where Monique teaches third grade and where I cooked lunch for thirty-five years. They fell in love over shared lunch duties and standardized testing frustration, which is as good a foundation for a marriage as any I've heard of.

James is a good man. Quiet, smart, patient — the kind of patience you need to teach nine-year-olds and the kind of patience you need to love a Henderson woman, which is a related but distinct skill. He asked Monique to marry him in the school library after hours, on one knee between the biography section and the chapter books. She said yes before he finished the question. That's my granddaughter — she doesn't need the whole speech. She knows a good thing when she sees it.

Denise is already in planning mode, which means the folder is out. Another folder. More tabs. More spreadsheets. Denise plans events the way generals plan campaigns, and I say this with love and mild terror. The wedding will be in June — this June, two months away — because Monique doesn't want to wait and James doesn't want to wait and Denise doesn't want to wait and I don't want to wait because I am sixty-eight years old with a knee surgery in August and I would like to attend one more wedding on two original knees before one of them gets replaced.

I've already started thinking about the food. Of course I have. The food is my department. The food has always been my department. Kayla's wedding was fried chicken and shrimp and grits for a hundred and twenty. Monique's will be different — Monique loves my chicken and dumplings, the thick kind with the rolled dough, not the thin kind with the biscuit dough, and James loves my baked mac and cheese, the three-cheese version with the crispy top that takes forty-five minutes at 375 and not a minute less.

Two weddings in one year. Two Henderson women married. The family is growing in every direction, like the garden, like the okra — reaching up and out and demanding to be tended and fed and loved.

Made chicken and dumplings tonight. Practice. The broth was rich. The dumplings were tender. The chicken fell apart the way chicken should when it's been simmered with patience and respect. Monique's wedding food starts here, in this pot, on this stove, with these hands.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Now, I know what you’re thinking — she just told us about chicken and dumplings, so why is she handing us a wrap? Because wedding planning is long work, and you can’t simmer a pot of dumplings every night of the week, even when your heart is full and your kitchen smells like a promise. On the nights between the big pots, when Denise calls with another tab to add to the folder and another question about centerpieces, I need something fast and good that I can put together before the phone hits the counter. This Chicken Caesar Wrap is exactly that — thirty-five years of school lunches taught me that a well-made wrap is nothing to look down on, and this one earns its place at any table.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup plain croutons, lightly crushed
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional, for serving)

Instructions

Season the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Cook the chicken. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 5—6 minutes per side, until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
Toss the salad base. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, Caesar dressing, and half the Parmesan. Toss until the lettuce is well coated.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the flour tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20—30 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side.
Assemble the wraps. Lay each tortilla flat. Divide the dressed romaine evenly among the four tortillas, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Top each with sliced chicken, a sprinkle of crushed croutons, and the remaining Parmesan.
Wrap and serve. Fold in the sides of each tortilla, then roll from the bottom up, pulling gently as you roll to keep it snug. Slice in half on the diagonal. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken Caesar Wrap — A Quick Bite Between Big Plans