B.L.A.T Salad + Maple Dijon Dressing
My Sunday at-home involved doing an 11 mile run, treating myself to a couple delicious Gin + Lemon + Thyme Cocktails, an afternoon fire outside, and (my personal favorite) a music video dance party in the comfort of my own living room. I think Jordan & I have a reputation that you come to our house, & we have music videos rolling on the TV. & if you’re a really good friend of ours, a dance party happens, & those are some of the MOST fun moments on our cozy home. It’s like our own very minor effort to reinvent the days when watching music videos on MTV was a thing, and when we have the opportunity we force our friends to join. In truth, it’s usually just he & I jamming out to our favorite songs & doing the whole music video jukebox thing- he picks a song & then I pick a song & we have quite the mix going. This Sunday, music video jukebox meant diving in to some old T-Swift videos (Bad Blood is fire & always will be), and dancing around while dinner is cooking.
Keeping things simple this weekend felt right. Jordan made some bread, which is always such a treat, so I wanted to make something that would go perfect with his homemade load. Salad it was, & I took some inspo from a BLT salad to make this B.L.A.T Salad + Maple Dijon Dressing. B.L.A.T - bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato. Everything that’s delicious sandwiched between two slices of bread is bound to be amazing in big bowl coated in a yummy dressing. I added a few of my other favorite salad toppings, like blue cheese & red onion, to really bring it home, & it was just the salad I was craving.
Me + Jordan have a “2 meats” joke at our house. A while ago, when we were planning to make chili + plotting out a grocery list, my husband asked me “what kind of chili do you like?” My answer - “the kind with 2 meats.” My inner carnivore coming out, & now “2 meats” is our fun little joke. So when I told my husband I was making a salad with two meats, we couldn’t help but crack up a little. This salad is founded on a bacon + chicken meat duo, & that is never something to be mad about! I like to think this salad is along the lines of a bacon cheeseburger - the bacon is just the bonus & it doesn’t replace the beef patty. Bacon is the bonus (& needed to make it a true B.L.A.T salad), & the chicken just fits with everything else you got going on.
I say it all the time, and if you’ve ever eaten with my you know I love a sauce or dressing or dipper. So I love having big salads like this & making the perfect dressing to tie everything together. & I always feel so in control when I make a dressing opposed to opening one up. So much fresher & you get it exactly as sweet or salty or tangy or whatever it is you’re going for. & this is my new favorite - a maple dijon dressing. Maple is just a fun change up to honey, and essentially what you end up with is a sweet & spicy dressing that goes great with every other damn thing you’re putting in the bowl. I add a hefty dose of thyme, & it’s just an herby, earthy element that brings a welcomed bit of freshness.
So that’s it. An easy, satisfying, and refreshing Sunday dinner with 2 meats. I felt a little bad about the 2 meats thing because Jordan definitely steers our ship in the vegetarian direction, so I always bring meat to our weekend menu sporadically + cautiously. We’re both veggie enthusiasts, but I’m the instigator of the meaty meals for sure. But any guilt I had about bringing 2 meats of the table we’re quickly wiped away when Jordan told me it was a perfect salad. & it was perfect with that homemade bread of his. Light + bright + something I’ll be whipping up in bulk for a healthy dinner once I return to bartending life.
For the dressing
1/4 c. + 1 tbsp Dijon
3 tbsp maple syrup (you could use honey or agave - both taste so good!)
pinch of salt
1/2 c. EVOO
1 tsp fresh thyme leave, minced
For the salad
5-6 slices bacon
1 chicken breast
1 avocado, halved & sliced
1/2 c. tomatoes, sliced
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced with mandolin
4 c. leafy greens (curly lettuce, romaine, or kale)
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
2 tbsp. thinly sliced chives
Start by making the dressing. Stir together the maple and mustard in a mason jar. Whisk in the EVOO until total emulsified. Whisk in a pinch of salt & thyme, taste, and set aside in the fridge. It’s a thick dressing, but you can always add in some more oil to thin it out if desired.
Preheat an oven to 350. Lay the bacon in a single layer on a foil lined cover baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes - bacon should be browned crispy by the end of the bake time.
Move to prepping the chicken & veggies. Pat the chicken dry, seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. Place a pan of over medium heat. Add in 2 tbsp EVOO. Once heated, add in the chicken, letting cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes. Flip, cooking on the other side for 7-8 minutes.. Flip again, cover, and reduce the heat to low, letting the chicken cook for another 20 minutes. You just want the chicken to be fully cooked.
Rip up the lettuce, rinse in a salad spinner, and divide between two bowls (totally fine if you don’t use all the lettuce). Add the sliced avocado, tomatoes, onion, & blue cheese over the top, trying to put each ingredient in its own little section on top of the salad. Chop the bacon, and diced the chicken. Divide the meats between the two salads. Drizzle the dressing right over the top, sprinkling with a small pinch of fresh herbs, and enjoy. Eating a crusty baguette is highly encouraged.