Topopo Salad

There's a mexican restaurant in the town I grew up in that is well known for its menu item called the Topopo Salad. I have fond memories of sitting at a big round table with the girlies in my family sharing HUGE plates of this amazing salad. The other day I was struck with a craving for a Topopo, so off to google I ran! My search was rewarded with the actual restaurant recipe - hooray! Here's a link to the site where I found the recipe, but for simplicity's sake, I've typed it all here as well, and added a few notes.

TOPOPO SALAD

INGREDIENTS
4 cups of iceberg lettuce
2 1/2 ounces Roma tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 ounces cooked, shredded Chicken
2 1/2 ounces Cheddar cheese
2 1/2 ounces Monterey Jack
Jalapenos, minced, to taste
2 1/2 ounces frozen Peas, thawed
2 1/2 Green Onions, chopped
Oil and apple cider vinegar dressing (2:1 oil and vinegar), to taste
4 ounces fried tortilla chips
4 ounces pinto beans, mashed
4 ounces additional cheddar cheese
3 ounces guacamole
1 tablespoon Romano grated cheese

PREPARATION

Combine iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, first two cheeses, jalapenos, peas and scallions in a bowl. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix oil and vinegar. Toss with salad mixture.

Take tortilla chips and spread evenly on a serving plate. Spread pinto beans over the chips. Spread additional cheddar cheese over the pinto beans. Put in the microwave for about one minute, or until melted. (You may also place in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.)

Spread guacamole over the melted cheese. Top with salad mixture to form a mound. Sprinkle with Romano grated cheese.
This is the only thing I have ever eaaten at El Azteco, because it's so good that I never felt the need to try anything else. It has probably been a good 13 years since I have had this salad, due to the fact that the restaurant has had some bad health inspectons in the past, which totally freaked out my hubby. So, I was VERY happy to find an authentic recipe - it tasted just like I remembered! Try it and let me know what you think!