Summer Chicken Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

 Half-baked Harvest does it again.  P made this for Mother's Day and it was delicious.  The hot bacon dressing was incredible.  The roasted peppers were fine but not essential.

Author: Tieghan Gerard

Prep Time20minutes minutes

Cook Time10minutes minutes

Total Time30minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 550 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Dressing

• ▢6 thick-cut slices of bacon, chopped
• ▢1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢1 shallot, thinly sliced
• ▢1-2 cloves garlic, grated
• ▢3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢1 tablespoon fig preserves
• ▢1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• ▢chili flakes
• ▢kosher salt and pepper

Salad

• ▢1 cup torn ciabatta bread
• ▢1 clove garlic, grated
• ▢6 cups mixed salad greens
• ▢2 cups grilled chicken, cubed or shredded
• ▢1-2 roasted/grilled bell peppers, sliced
• ▢3 ears grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
• ▢2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢1 avocado, sliced
• ▢1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients except the bacon in a glass jar and whisk until smooth.

  2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain onto a paper towel. Stir the bacon into the dressing.

  3. To make the croutons. Heat the same skillet used to cook the bacon over medium heat. Add the bread and toss in the bacon grease. If needed add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook until toasted, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, then remove from the heat and season with salt.

  4. To assemble the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the greens, chicken, peppers, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and croutons. Toss well with the dressing. Enjoy!

Notes

Herb Grilled Chicken: In a large bowl, toss 1 pound of chicken tenders with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons grainy dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, kosher salt and black pepper. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes. 

Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper

 One of my son's friends told me this is his favorite thing his mom makes, so I got the recipe and it's from Half-baked Harvest.  I doubled the broth and milk and ketchup and cheese here to make it saucier.

2 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil

1 poundlean ground beef

1 mediumyellow onion, chopped

kosher salt and black pepper

1 teaspoonchili powder

1 teaspoonpaprika

1 teaspoongarlic powder

1 poundshort cut pasta

1zucchini, grated (about 1 cup grated)

4 cupslow sodium beef broth  

3 cupsmilk(use what you drink)

3 cupsshredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoonketchup

fresh parsley, for serving

1. 1. In a large pot set over medium hight heat, add the olive oil, onion and beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, cook another minute.

   2. Add the pasta and zucchini and toss to coat, then pour in the broth and milk. Add the ketchup and stir to combine. Season with salt.

   3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Simmer 5-8 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often.

   4. Stir in the cheese and cook another few minutes until very creamy.

   5. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!