3665. CRUNCHY CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES with BACON

makes two sandwiches


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 small carrots, 1 cut into rough chunks, the other diced
1 small onion, halved
2 medium celery stalks, 1 cut into rough chunks, the other diced
2 scallions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt
3 slices bacon
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
4 slices bakery whole grain bread

Poach the chicken: add the chicken thighs, the rough chop carrot, onion, and rough chop celery to a medium pot with a lid. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any foam from the top, and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, let cool, then shred. Chicken can be cooked and shredded up to 3 days in advance and stored in refrigerator.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the scallions with apple cider vinegar and salt. Set aside.

Add bacon in single layer to large skillet. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and well rendered (about 10 minutes total). Drain on paper towels, then break each slice in half.

Add the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, diced carrots, and diced celery to the mixing bow with the scallions and vinegar. Mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toast bread. Divide chicken salad evenly on top of two slices of bread. Top with bacon and close sandwiches. Serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Phoebe Lapine and Cara Eisenpress, Big Girls Small Kitchen | Serious Eats, March 22, 2011

3566. CHICKEN, BACON and AVOCADO CHOPPED SALAD

yields 4-6 servings


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 avocados, pitted and diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Garlic herb vinaigrette:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasonings
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Salad: Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time wil vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.) Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.

Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, blue cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together until combined.


bacon recipe source: Ali Ebright, Gimme Some Oven (@gimmesomeoven), March 29, 2013; inspired by Martinelli's Little Italy

2524. CHICKEN SALAD with BACON and MANDARIN ORANGES

1 whole rotisserie chicken, meat removed and broken into bite size pieces.
10 slices bacon, baked or fried crisp, then crumbled into bite size pieces.
desired amount of good quality mayo
desired amount of diced celery
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 can or 1/2 large plastic container of mandarin oranges, drained

Cook ten slices of bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool.

Remove meat from a whole rotisserie chicken (discarding skin and bones) and place bite size pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add desired amount of mayo and diced celery. Add 1/4 teaspoon onion salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper & 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Crumble reserved bacon in bite size pieces and stir into salad. Drain mandarin oranges and VERY gently fold them into the chicken salad. Be careful not to break up the orange sections.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Erin, The Lemonista, January 12, 2012

2294. PASTA CHICKEN SALAD with SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, SPINACH and BACON

5 strips bacon, fried and chopped into bite-sized pieces
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 lb tube pasta (cellentani), cooked, drained and cooled to room temperature
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Place the mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk well. In a large bowl, combine pasta, bacon, green onions, shredded chicken, spinach leaves and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss lightly. Add about ½ to ¾ of the mayonnaise and vinegar mixture. Toss to combine. Add more dressing if the salad seems dry.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Leigh Anne Wilkes, your homebased mom, April 18, 2008

1789. BABY BRIOCHES with CHICKEN SALAD and BACON

makes 16 hors d’oeuvres


4 slices of applewood-smoked bacon
16 mini brioche rolls (about 2 inches)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, minced
1/2 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley, plus 32 large flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken—skin and bones discarded, chicken cut into 1/3-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (16 slices)

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut each slice into 4 pieces.

Using a paring knife, cut a 1-inch round plug out of the top of each brioche roll. Carefully hollow out the rolls. Set the rolls on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven to refresh them, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the the mayonnaise, celery, shallot, minced parsley and lemon juice. Stir in the diced chicken and season the salad with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken salad into each brioche roll, garnish with parsley leaves and cover with a tomato slice. Top each roll with 1 teaspoon of chicken salad, garnish with the bacon and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Melissa Rubel Jacobson, "The Best Chicken Salad Recipes," Food & Wine, September 2008

1777. WARM MUSHROOM and CHICKEN SALAD with BACON

serves four


4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
salt
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 bag (5 to 6 ounces) baby arugula
1 small head frisée, stem ends trimmed and discarded

In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon on medium 5 to 6 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; remove fat from skillet and reserve 4 teaspoons. (If you do not have 4 teaspoons bacon fat, add enough olive oil to equal 4 teaspoons.)

To same skillet, return 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat and heat on medium until hot. Add chicken and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 7 to 8 minutes or until browned on the outside and no longer pink inside, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 2 teaspoons bacon fat and shallot; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add mushrooms; cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer on medium-high or until mushrooms are browned and tender and most liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Add broth and vinegar; heat to boiling. Remove skillet from heat.

In large bowl, combine arugula and frisée; add chicken and mushroom mixture and toss until well combined. To serve, top with reserved bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Good Housekeeping.com

1431. CHERVIL-STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN SALAD with SHAVED TURNIPS, BACON and CIDER VINAIGRETTE

serves four


For the cider vinaigrette
2 tablespoons sugar
8¾ fl oz good-quality cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lardons
3 rashers bacon, sliced into lardons

For the herb butter
2¼ oz butter
small bunch fresh chervil, roughly chopped
small bunch fresh chives, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken
1 medium chicken, cut in half down the middle
2¼ fl oz chicken stock

To serve
4 baby turnips, shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
crisp leaves such as Little Gem, chicory and watercress
handful fresh parsley leaves
fresh chives and chervil, chopped, to serve


For the cider vinaigrette, place the sugar in a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until caramelised. Add the cider and cook until reduced and sticky. Remove from the heat. Whisk the cider vinegar, oil, mustard and garlic into the cider reduction. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to cool.

For the lardons, fry the bacon in a hot frying pan until crisp. Drain away the fat and set the bacon aside.

For the herb butter, place the butter in a food processor and pulse to soften. Add the chervil and chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until well mixed.

For the chicken, loosen skin of the chicken halves, and stuff the herb butter under the skin. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 190C/370F/Gas 5. Heat an oven-proof frying pan, without oil, and dry fry the chicken halves, skin-side down, until crisp. Turn the chicken halves over and transfer the pan to the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through - the juices will run clear when the chicken is pierced with a skewer at the thickest point. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and pour off the excess fat. Set the chicken halves aside to rest. Deglaze pan with the chicken stock and cook to reduce the liquid.

To serve, toss the shaved turnips, crisp leaves, parsley leaves and lardons with the cider vinaigrette. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and add to the salad. Arrange the salad on a plate, pour over the pan juices and sprinkle with some chopped chives and chervil. Serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Oliver Rowe, Saturday Kitchen, BBC Food

469. SUNGOLD TOMATO and BACON SALAD with SOFIA or PIPER'S PYRAMID

4 slices french bread (sauteed until golden brown in butter)
4 slices Sofia or Pyramides
8 pc sungold tomatoes, quartered
1 pc baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 pc radishes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, finely julienned and rendered crisp, (keep warm)
Manodori Balsamico

Place a slice of Sofia on a sauteed slice of french bread. Toss the tomatoes, baby fennel, radishes and herbs with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the warm bacon at the last minute. Drizzle with balsamico.


courtesy of: Capriole Goat Cheese, Judith Schad, PO Box 117, 10329 Newcut Road, Greenville, Indiana 47124 / Sarah Stegner, Ritz Carlton, Chicago, Illinois

56. CHICKEN SALAD with PICKLED WALNUTS and BACON

serves four

1 poached chicken (allowed to cool in liquid) or roasted chicken, if you prefer
6 or more pickled walnuts (sliced thin across grain)
2 cups of cooked double peeled fava beans
2 handfuls of arugula
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup crispy smoked bacon

Dressing:
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon walnut, hazelnut, or almond oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fine diced shallot

Combine dressing ingredients first and set aside.

Remove skin from chicken and with your fingers pull the meat into strands following the grain.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently with fingertips, then add the dressing.

Serve on toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic.


courtesy of: The Grateful Palate Gift Handbook 2003, Oxnard, CA: The Grateful Palate, 2003.