Description
A hearty and colorful Fall Cobb Salad featuring roasted butternut squash, juicy chicken breasts, crispy bacon, fresh apple, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds on a bed of mixed greens, all tossed with a tangy maple Dijon dressing. Perfect for a nutritious and flavorful autumn meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Components
- ½ Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
- 1 Apple, diced
- 4 eggs
- â…“ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 chicken breasts
- 4 strips Bacon
- ½ cup dried Cranberries
- â…“ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 8 oz mixed greens
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400ºF to prepare for roasting the butternut squash, chicken, and bacon together.
- Prepare Butternut Squash: Toss the diced butternut squash with ½ tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread it out on a sheet pan for roasting.
- Prepare Chicken: Coat chicken breasts with ½ tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken pieces on the sheet pan between the pieces of butternut squash.
- Roast and Add Bacon: Roast the chicken and squash in the oven for 10 minutes, then flip the chicken. Lay the bacon strips over the chicken breasts and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the salad.
- Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs: Choose one method to make hard-boiled eggs: Pressure Cooker method or Stovetop method. After cooking, cool in ice water, peel, and cut into halves or quarters.
- Make Dressing: In a bowl or jar, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake until fully emulsified.
- Rest and Slice Meat & Bacon: Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble Salad: Place mixed greens on a serving dish. Top with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, diced apple, blue cheese, bacon pieces, sliced chicken, roasted butternut squash, and hard-boiled eggs. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make hard-boiled eggs ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Feel free to substitute turkey bacon for a leaner option or use different nuts/seeds as preferred.
- Adjust maple syrup quantity in dressing to taste depending on desired sweetness.
- Ensure chicken is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer to reach 165ºF to guarantee safety.
- If you prefer, roast the squash separately to avoid overcrowding the pan and ensure even cooking.
