Chef Salad with Roasted Chicken

Chef Salad with Roasted Chicken

Thoroughly wash & prep:

Lettuce, chopped

Spinach, torn

Favorite veggies, sliced & diced

Layer in 4 individual serving bowls.

Prepare:

1 lb chicken, cooked & chopped

1/2 lb bacon, cooked & chopped

4 eggs, boiled & peeled

Croutons

Cheese, shredded

Arrange over the top of the 4 prepared bowls.

Drizzle with Homemade Ranch Dressing. Serve immediately.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• Timesaver tip: Chicken can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until use. Make sure to store in an airtight container.

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Window to B’s kitchen…

Homemade Ranch Dressing

As a kid, I only knew Grandma’s Salad Dressing and didn’t realize it was more commonly known as Ranch Dressing. Grandma Saunders would regularly share quart jars of her amazing homemade dressing with our family. She’d make it for holidays and reunions, and it was the only veggie dip ever needed.

Since my household is relatively small, I scaled the recipe down to make ~1 cup, relying on pantry staples. Below is this mini recipe, followed by Grandma’s original.

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

• This recipe makes ~1 cup, scroll for Grandma’s original recipe (makes ~2 quarts)

To a small mixing bowl, add:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried minced onion

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp Accent

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Stir together until well incorporated.

Fold in:

1/4 cup buttermilk

• If dressing is too thick, add 1-4 Tbsp buttermilk, until desired thickness is reached.

Mix well but don’t overbeat. Serve immediately or transfer to a half-pint jar and store in the refrigerator for ~1 week.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: ~1 cup of dressing

• No buttermilk? Substitute Greek Yogurt for dip and Cold Start Yogurt for dressing

• Grandma often used fresh parsley and onions, chopping both very fine

• This recipe is truly a family heirloom - scroll to see the original recipe

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Grandma’s hand-written recipe card, including her personal notes & adjustments.

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Grandma’s Salad Dressing (Original Recipe)

• Makes ~2 quarts

To a large mixing bowl, add:

1 quart mayonnaise

3 Tbsp dried parsley

2 Tbsp dried minced onion

3/4 Tbsp garlic salt

2 tsp Accent

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Stir together until well incorporated.

Fold in:

3/4 quart buttermilk

• If dressing is too thick, add 1/4 - 1 cup buttermilk, until desired thickness is reached.

Mix well but don’t overbeat. Serve immediately or transfer to a half-pint jar and store in the refrigerator for ~1 week.

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Window to B’s kitchen . . .

Chinese Chicken Salad

Brenda was introduced to this Chinese Chicken Salad by her college roommates. The recipe has stayed in her repertoire and is a fabulous use of garden-fresh lettuce. Go ahead, grab a fork and eat this right out of the serving bowl.

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Chinese Chicken Salad

Step 1: Dressing

To a small pot, add:

2 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Place over high heat, stirring carefully. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: Fried Wontons

1. Begin heating oil to deep-fry the wonton strips*

   • Note: It can take approximately 10-15 minutes for the oil to heat to 350F.

     While oil heats, prepare:

     1 pkg wonton wrappers, sliced into 1/4-1/2” strips

     • OR make wrappers from scratch, and slice into 1/4-1/2” strips

2. Line a 13”x9” pan with paper towels or a clean paper bag, this will be used to drain the fried strips.

3. Fry wonton strips in batches:

• Add only enough strips to allow easy movement

• Wontons will quickly puff up and float to the top

• Use a heat-proof slotted spoon to gently stir the strips for even cooking

• Wontons will quickly brown, indicating that they are done

• Remove using the slotted spoon, transferring fried wontons to prepared pan to drain

• Repeat with next batch until all strips are fried

Step 3: Salad

To a large bowl, add:

1 head lettuce, chopped or torn into bite-size pieces

1 lb. chicken, cooked & chopped**

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 cup vegetables of choice, chopped

Toss with:

Dressing (Step 1)

Toss using tongs until well dressed, top with:

Wonton Strips (Step 2)

Serve immediately.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4

• *Methods for heating oil:

1. Deep fryer

   • Fill with oil to the fryer-specified level

   • Turn on fryer and set temperature to ~350F

2. Deep pot on stovetop

   • Place a deep pot on the stovetop

   • Add ~2” of oil to the pot

   • Turn heat to medium and allow to heat to ~350F

• **Cook the chicken using one of Brenda’s favorite methods:

  • Oven Roasted Chicken

  • Crockpot Shredded Chicken

Blackened Chicken Salad

Blackened Chicken Salad

Defrost 

1 lb. chicken breast, boneless skinless

Preheat oven to 400F.

On the stovetop, preheat a cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) over medium heat.

In a small bowl, combine:

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp thyme, crushed

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Stir together. Rub into fully defrosted chicken breast, fully covering top and bottom.

To preheated skillet, add:

1-2 tsp oil

Seasoned chicken breast

Brown on first side, ~3 minutes. Turn over and brown on other side, ~2 minutes.

Put skillet, including chicken, into preheated oven (400F).

Roast for 20 minutes. 

• Using an instant read thermometer, check chicken temperature 

• Food safety tip: 165F internal temp for boneless chicken

• Cook longer if necessary, checking temp every 2-3 minutes

Remove cooked chicken from hot skillet. Set aside to rest 10 minutes while preparing salads.

Thoroughly wash vegetables, chop and layer in 4 individual serving bowls:

Lettuce

Spinach

Favorite veggies

Other recommended toppings:

• Bacon, cooked & chopped

• Cheese, shredded

• Eggs, boiled

• Croutons (make your own croutons)

Cut chicken into thin strips or small cubes and arrange over the top of prepared bowls.

Drizzle with favorite dressing. Serve immediately.

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Brenda’s tips:

• Serving size: 4 servings

• Timesaver tip: Chicken can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until use. Make sure to store properly.

• Timesaver tip: Brenda prepares an oversize batch of spice rub and stores it in an old spice jar. 

  • Oversized batch = ~8 lbs. chicken

    • 2 tsp paprika

    • 2 tsp cayenne pepper

    • 2 tsp salt

    • 2 tsp pepper

    • 1 tsp oregano

    • 1 tsp thyme, crushed

    • 1 tsp garlic powder

• Recommended dressings:

  • Ranch

  • Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • Honey Mustard

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Window to B’s kitchen…