Marinated chicken combined with crispy Romaine, bacon, and avocado, topped with homemade honey mustard dressing, makes this salad something to write home about.
The weekends tend to be a time of more indulgence when it comes to eating. It may be out of convenience because we have a lot going on, or just having more (or less) time to think about and prepare dinner, or even just wanting to have something a little less healthy because hey, we made it to the weekend! But whatever the reason, it just seems to be a thing. Especially with a baby, and having a new roof put on, and all the other zillions of things that we try to cram into a weekend. At least at our house.
So, when Monday rolls around again, I have my trusty menu plan to fall back on, to get us back on track. Not that I don’t have a menu plan all the time, but…you know. Life and all that jazz. And while I won’t claim that salad, in general, is always a healthier option – because we all know that we are perfectly capable of loading a lot of indulgent toppings onto a bowl of greens – there is definitely something to be said about grilled chicken and veggies in a salad that makes us feel like we’re doing a little better with our eating choices.
Besides, we can’t go cold-turkey or our bodies might go into shock. The bacon and cheese are just there to help us transition. Well, that and they taste delicious, so…yeah.
Oh, and did I mention that making your own salad dressing is super easy and much better for you than the store-bought varieties?!?! No added sugar or…other things. Well, at least in this particular dressing. And it is deelicious! Of course, I think pretty much anything with honey, or Dijon mustard, is good so when you combine the two…I’m all on board.
And then you drizzle it over a salad that is chock full of all the goodies. How can that not be the best salad you ever made in 15 minutes??
I wish I had made a big batch and bottled it up to eat on pretty much everything for the next week.
Oh, and my dear hubby who says he likes salad but really just likes a small amount of greens piled high with toppings and then drowned in his favorite dressing, really liked the salad and the dressing. He rarely eats the dressing that is intended for salads I make, so that’s says a lot!
Honey Mustard Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
For the marinade/dressing:
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer)
For the salad:
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 6 cups Romaine lettuce leaves , washed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 large avocado , pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Combine the honey through salt together in a medium bowl and whisk. Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour half of the marinade over the chicken, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes-2 hours. The longer the better. Reserve the remaining marinade to use as dressing.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Cook, stirring periodically, until the bacon is browned and crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Drain any remaining bacon grease and return the pan to the stove. (You can wipe it out if you'd like, or leave the bacon grease remnants for a little added flavor to the chicken.)
- Add about a teaspoon of oil to the skillet, remove chicken from the marinade cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely seared and cooked through. Set aside to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
- While the chicken is resting, finish preparing the dressing by whisking in 1-2 tablespoons of water into the remaining marinade that you set aside earlier. Just enough to thin it out a bit. Start with 1 tablespoon and then add a second if you would like it even thinner.
- To prepare the salad, divide the Romaine into bowls and top with chicken strips, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. The drizzle the glorious honey mustard dressing generously over the top, and enjoy!
Source: Cafe Delites
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