It’s officially summer, and that means we’ve got plenty of produce growing, summer markets are thriving, and we’re bringing the heat to our salad game over here. No boring salads 2021 is my motto, and I hope you can agree with that!
I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating Grilled Chicken Cobb Salads, my mom made the best- luscious layers of buttery lettuce, grilled chicken, summer tomatoes, ripe avocado, jammy eggs, crumbled buttermilk blue, and plenty of crispy bacon, piled high.
Today, we’re featuring Jones Dairy Farm Dry Aged, Center-Cut, Cherrywood Smoked Bacon. It’s dry aged up to four weeks, giving us that rich, bold flavor. It’s naturally smoked over real wood chips and has a slightly sweet flavor from the cherrywood! It’s delicious! Find it at a store near you, here.
This blog is done in long-term partnership with my friends at Jones Dairy Farm. All thoughts, opinions, and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting thatswhatsheeats.com
The beautiful part about this recipe, is how versatile it is! If you have a favorite salad topping, feel free to add it. If you’re out of one of the ingredients, you can add something else or just extra of another.
I make a simple vinaigrette which doubles as the chicken marinade. I add red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, herbs, and honey, to a jar with a lid, and shake, shake, shake, until the dressing is combined. Pour half over your chicken breast and save the other half for the final presentation. Pop your chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
This recipe doesn’t need much in the way of equipment, but here’s where you can start
* Grill
* Tongs
*Cutting Board
*Sharp Knife
*Baking Sheet
*Salad Bowl
Here’s a list of ingredients you will need,
*Jones Dairy Farm Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
*Chicken Breast
*Lettuce
*Ripe Tomatoes
*Eggs
*Blue Cheese
*Ripe Avocado
*Red Wine Vinegar
*Garlic
*Olive Oil
*Parsley
*Honey
*Salt & Pepper
My pro-tip to share is the best way to cook bacon! Bake it! I line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay my strips of bacon on top, and pop into a cold oven. Turn on to 375-400, and bake for about 15 minutes, until bacon is as crisp as you like. Transfer to paper towels to cool and absorb any extra grease, and you have perfect bacon every time! This is exactly how we used to cook bacon in the restaurant, and I still use this method today.
Now that we have our tips and tricks ready to go, let’s dig in!
Chicken Cobb Salad
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
8oz Jones Dairy Farm Dry Aged, Center-Cut, Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
1 lb chicken breast
4 cups mixed lettuce
2 small heirloom tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
2 eggs
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Vinaigrette
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T truffle oil (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped parsley
1 T honey
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a jar with a lid, add vinaigrette ingredients, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and shake until combined. If you love truffle, feel free to add the additional oil for the boost of flavor, but it’s absolutely optional. Add chicken to a bag or Tupperware and pour half of the dressing mixture over. Cover the chicken, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight, to marinate.
2. Once chicken has had time to absorb those flavors, preheat grill to high heat, and cook chicken for 8-10 minutes per side, checking it’s doneness for 165 degrees. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
3. On a large baking sheet, line with parchment, and arrange strips of Jones Dairy Farm Bacon. Place tray into a cold oven and turn the heat to 375. Bake for 15 minutes, until bacon is golden brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towel to cool and absorb residual grease.
4. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and with a large spoon, slowly place eggs in boiling water, and cook for 7 minutes. Rinse under cold water and peel immediately. Slice in half and you’re left with perfect jammy eggs!
5. Slice tomatoes, and avocado, and let’s assemble our salad! Add lettuce to bowl and arrange slices of grilled chicken on top. Add slices of avocado, tomato, crumble the blue, add jammy eggs, and large pieces of crisp bacon. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve immediately! Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-4