BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad with Grilled Garlic Croutons

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad with Grilled Garlic Croutons

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (my fave is bone suckin!)
• 4 slices italian or sourdough bread (or whatever you love!)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 scallions
• 2 ears sweet corn
• 8 ounces butter lettuce, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces arugula greens, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup torn fresh cilantro
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, chopped into tiny chunks

honey mustard vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Add the chicken to a baking dish or ziplock bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, onion powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Season the chicken with the spice mixture. Add the garlic cloves to the barbecue sauce and pour the sauce over top. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) before grilling.
2. Turn on your grill to high heat and let it heat up for about 20 minutes before grilling. Drizzle the bread with the olive oil on both sides and cover it with the garlic powder. To grill the bread, place it on the grates and grill under it toasts and becomes brown - about 2 minutes per side. Watch closely as the thickness of your bread will determine how long to grill it. Remove the bread and set it aside.
3. Next, add the green onions to the grill. I add them whole and grill about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until charred on each side. I adore the flavor this brings to scallions! You can also add the two ears of corn to the grill at this time. I do not season them before grilling because they are going right into the big salad. I simply throw them on the grill and grill until toasted all around. Remove the scallions and corn from the grill and set it aside.
4. Next, grilled your chicken until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side for chicken that is around one inch thick. You want an internal temperature of 165, or cut through the center and make sure there is no pink.
5. Once your vegetables and chicken have cooled, chopped them. I discard the white ends of the scallions and chop the rest. Slice the corn from the cob and chop the chicken into chunks. Take the bread and cut it into chunks. The size of the food does not matter - as long as it all is around the same size. For the perfect chopped salad!
6. Assemble the salad in a large bowl. Mix together the butter lettuce, arugula and cilantro. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss. Add in the chicken, scallions, corn, tomatoes, bacon, avocado and white cheddar. Toss and add in the croutons, tossing once more. Serve immediately with the honey mustard vinaigrette. I find that this salad even holds up well the next day as long as you don't dress the entire thing (the avocado might brown a but) - the croutons may just be a bit soft.
honey mustard vinaigrette
7. Add the honey, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in the vinegar and whisk again until smooth. While whisking, stream in the olive oil and whisk constantly until emulsified. You can keep this in the fridge for about a week - it may separate but just shake or whisk well before using.

Source: howsweeteats