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 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Yield: 4servings
Ingredients
For the chicken:
3bone-in chicken breasts
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
¼teaspoongarlic powder
¼teaspoononion powder
For the sweet potatoes:
2large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1tablespoonolive oil
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
For the bacon vinaigrette:
5piecesbacon
¼cupshallot, minced
2tablespoonsgarlic, minced
1 ½tablespoonshoney
¼cuporange juice
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
3tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
3tablespoonscoarse grain mustard
½teaspoonsalt
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.
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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.