CHICKEN BLT SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING by NancyC

Makes 4 servings                                      

BUTTERMILK DRESSING (makes about 3/4 cup)

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon spicy brown mustard or honey mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic or garlic powder
• dash of salt and pepper

NOTE:  You might want to double the amount of dressing if you use a lot on your salad!

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tightly–packed cups of chopped romaine lettuce or your favorite salad mix (I used a spring mix)
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups of your favorite salad croutons (I used a Cheese Garlic flavor)
• 4 Tablespoons of real bacon pieces or bits, divided (if you want to cook and crumble your own bacon, use 4-5 slices)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese, divided (I used white Cheddar)
• 2 cups pre-cooked chicken, chopped in chunks (I used pre-cooked chicken breasts sold in the freezer section, but you can use any leftover chicken you have; grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken are good in this salad)
• Optional additional toppings for salad: 1 cup chopped avocado and/or 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Whisk together all the Buttermilk Dressing ingredients in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, half of the bacon pieces or bits (2 Tablespoons), 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, and all of the chicken chunks; toss all ingredients together well. Serve in individual salad bowls or on salad plates, and top with the remaining  cheese and bacon pieces.

Drizzle the dressing over each individual salad. If you’d like to add some additional toppings, you could include chopped avocado or sunflower seeds.

Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com