Warm Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Warm chicken and sweet potato salad with bacon vinaigrette, served over fresh spinach, is a hearty main dish salad with big bacon flavor!

Happy Halloween!

We had a super packed, really fun weekend. Here's the highlights:

1. Date night was a lot of fun! We did go see Girl on the Train even though I hadn't quite finished the book. We rarely go to the movie theater, so it was a nice treat!
2. Saturday was party day. Three total, all of which had a bounce house. (And one had a petting zoo!) The birthday party also featured a visit by Mickey Mouse. J was NOT a fan. It was kinda funny 😉
3. The kiddos slept well after all that bouncing. I was worn out too and went to bed at 9:30 that night. And then at 9 last night. Yes, we are wild and crazy. Felt good to actually get some sleep though!

And now I'm ready to go for today. I hope you have lots of little ghosts and goblins visit you tonight! My kiddos are really excited - mostly by the candy. They don’t ever get any from me, so days like this are a big deal.

And I’m excited to hang out with our neighbors — we do a little tailgating and everyone brings food and drinks and we hang out in a cul-de-sac until it’s trick or treat time.

However, while I love this holiday, today’s recipe has nothing to do with it. (You can see my easy healthy Halloween spider snacks if you need some festive fun today!)

But this warm chicken, spinach and sweet potato salad with bacon vinaigrette? Oh, it will start your week off on a good note.

It’s so freakin’ delicious. I could marry this salad and live happily ever after. As long as I can continue to get perfect bite after perfect bite where I have a little bit of every single ingredient.

We’ve got tender, juicy chicken breasts, roasted sweet potatoes, a base of fresh spinach and then all kinds of crazy big bacon flavor between the vinaigrette and the bacon pieces sprinkled on top.

My husband, who is my barometer of all things bacon-related, highly approved. If we’re going to do salad as a meal, this is the kind he wants.  

(Me, I'm on the healthier side, so I definitely want to check out this kale salad with bacon vinaigrette soon!)

Notes on chicken and sweet potato salad with bacon vinaigrette: 

• I use bone-in chicken breasts that I roasted on a separate sheet pan in the oven at the same time as the sweet potatoes. You could also use a rotisserie chicken from the store, grilled chicken or chicken thighs if you like.
• You can probably get away with just using 2 chicken breasts if yours are larger. That’s what I do - they stretch well. But I wrote the recipe for 3 breasts so everyone has plenty.
• Similarly, you can of course add more bacon if you like. I find I can get 5 strips into my large skillet at a time, so that’s what I use.
• To get this all to come together, get the chicken and sweet potatoes in the oven first, then fry the bacon and make your vinaigrette. Have it ready to go when they come out of the oven so you can serve this warm.
• The warmth from the chicken and sweet potatoes will help wilt the spinach a little. If you’d rather, you could also sauté the spinach right before you put this all together to serve.

Give this chicken, spinach and sweet potato salad with bacon a try - I think you'll love this flavor combo!

And if you love the dressing as much as we do and want to add it to ALL the salads and veggies, check out this warm bacon vinaigrette for a stand-alone recipe; it takes just 15 minutes to make! And this loaded spinach salad for a side dish that will knock your socks off.

I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween and I’ll see you back on Wednesday, when we’re gonna start talking Thanksgiving, in the form of a fun twist on Friendsgiving — Blogsgiving! 🙂

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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2.42 from 17 votes

Warm chicken, spinach and sweet potato salad with bacon vinaigrette

Warm chicken and sweet potato salad with bacon vinaigrette, served over fresh spinach, is a hearty main dish salad with big bacon flavor!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 bone-in chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

For the sweet potatoes:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the bacon vinaigrette:

• 5 pieces bacon
• ¼ cup shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the salad:

• 1 (8 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.
• Place cut sweet potatoes on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to get them well coated and spread in an even layer.
• Roast chicken and sweet potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove and slice.
• Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through and crispy, about 10 minutes, turning once or twice to get the pieces evenly cooked.
• Remove bacon to a paper towel and set aside. Once cooled, crumble or chop the bacon. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
• Add shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook in bacon grease for 2-3 minutes.
• Add honey and remaining vinaigrette ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
• To assemble the salads, divide spinach among plates and top with sliced chicken and roasted sweet potatoes. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with reserved crumbled bacon. Serve warm.

Notes

I use bone-in chicken breasts that I roasted on a separate sheet pan in the oven at the same time as the sweet potatoes. You could also use a rotisserie chicken from the store, grilled chicken or whatever you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 2032mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g

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