Chicken and Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
This right here’s the best spinach salad I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. I just demolished this photo shoot and wish I had some more! Keep in mind this rave review is coming from a gal who doesn’t even LIKE raw spinach all that much – I’m not crazy about how it feels on my teeth, if you want the truth – but this salad’s so flippin’ good, my pearly whites didn’t even get weirded out!
Although bacon dressing is the classic spinach salad go-with, I’ve always thought it sounded a little well…grody. So bacon dripping vinaigrette has never been high on my list of must-make dressings. But I’m here to tell you that it is dee-licious! I’m a total bacon dressing convert! And bacon is on sale, so what more could you possibly ask for?!
Don’t tell your cardiologist. He cares not for sale bacon.
And full disclosure: my punks wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot pole.
I ended up modifying the original recipe quite a bit; the main change I made was to cook the chicken myself (the original recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken). I bought a package of the sale chicken breasts and used them instead. I also added crumbles of a delicious gorgonzola, a handful of toasted pecans, and extra slivers of red onion.
I think it’s a WOW….I hope you like it too!
CHICKEN & SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON DRESSING
Serves: 2
Source: adapted from epicurious.com
3 c. cooked chicken, cut into short strips (from 1 purchased roast chicken) *see note for alternate plan*
1 – 6oz. bag baby spinach leaves
6 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces (Sendik’s Bacon is on sale)
½ medium-sized red onion, sliced paper thin
3 T. balsamic vinegar (I used a sherry vinegar and it was great)
Crumbled gorgonzola (I used the BelGioioso Cheese of the Month, YUM!)
Toasted, chopped pecans
Additional slivered red onion
Place chicken and spinach in a large bowl. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion and vinegar to drippings in skillet; stir to heat through, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour dressing over chicken and spinach. Add bacon, crumbled gorgonzola, and toasted pecans (spinach will wilt slightly). Season salad with salt and pepper; divide salad between two plates. Garnish with additional slivered red onion.
Pass out from sheer bliss.
** NOTE ** Sendik’s boneless, skinless breasts are on sale this week. I pounded out three breasts, drizzled them with a bit of olive oil, a sprinkle of herbs d’Provence, and some kosher salt and pepper. Then I threw them on the grill for about four minutes a side, allowed them to rest under foil for 10 minutes or so, then sliced them thinly across the grain. They were perfect!
Featured, Fresh, Frugal, Fabulous | October 18th, 2010