Fresh and filling, try this Cobb Salad. With chicken, avocado, bacon, chopped eggs and plenty of fresh veggies, there’s something for everyone to love!
With spring in full bloom and Easter behind us, I am feeling ready for light and fresh at dinner time. Also, I had plenty of eggs leftover, and let’s be honest, egg salad sandwiches for a week does NOT fit the bill for fresh and light.
This Cobb Salad is a perfect fit. I’ve said it before, but my husband is not a huge fan of salads—he never complains when I make them, but he also would never choose it as the entrée. However, this salad is full of plenty of things he does love, so it was a win.
It’s filling because it’s got plenty of protein with the chicken and eggs. You don’t need tons of chicken either. One large chicken breast chopped up was plenty for 5-6 salads. And you only need about 1 egg per salad.
The other part that everyone loves—bacon. I know, it’s not the healthiest option out there, and we certainly don’t eat it every day. But bacon makes everything more exciting. Also, I am a firm believer that you can eat just about anything if you surround it with fresh vegetables. So a little chopped bacon on a bed of spinach and romaine, surrounded by cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions is a meal this dietitian can be proud to serve.
This is a pretty low carb meal, so it’s a good one to pair a roll with. This time I found some pumpernickel rolls at the grocery store. I thought they’d be worth a try. I liked them, but no one else did! So next time we’ll just do regular plain rolls.
The salad and roll was enough for me, but for those who need a few more calories, cottage cheese and fruit pair nicely with this meal.
Salad meals with kids are great because it is so easy to serve everything separate. Kids are neophobic, so it’s important not to overwhelm them with a plate full of things they don’t recognize. Even if it’s food they typically like, if it’s presented in a way that is new, that can easily be overwhelming. Here’s my kid’s plates. They definitely eat better when foods are separated, and it’s a great way to encourage them to try something new!
A little tip for preparing this meal—cook your bacon in the oven. Line your tray with aluminum foil and broil the bacon. It takes about 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you like it. Flip it over half way through. I love this method because it is quick, painless and keeps the splatters contained.
The Meal:
3 ½ cups of baby spinach and romaine
1 hard boiled egg
1.5 oz chicken
2 strips of bacon
½ avocado
1 ½ cups chopped veggies (cucumber, tomato, peppers, purple onion)
1 ½ Tbsp Italian dressing
1 dinner roll with butter
Recipe Used in this meal:
Cobb Salad
Servings per Recipe: 6
Ingredients
12 cups of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
12 cups of Baby Spinach
8-10 ozs chicken breasts (about 1 large)
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
12 slices of bacon
3 large avocados
1/2 red onion, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
Directions
Cook bacon: line a baking sheet with tin foil, lay out bacon in single layer. Broil for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Chop into bite-size pieces.
Cook chicken: Dice the chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook thoroughly in a large, greased fry-pan on medium-high heat.
Cook eggs: place eggs in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and remove from heat. Allow eggs to remain in hot water for 10-12 minutes. Peel and chop into bite size pieces.
Wash and chop the romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, peppers and onion. Slice and chop the avocado.
Portion lettuce and spinach onto plates. Top with chicken, bacon, eggs and veggies. Top with a drizzle of the dressing. Serve immediately
Nutrition Facts Label for Entire Meal:
Nutrition Facts Label for Cobb Salad:
