{"id":15576,"date":"2016-10-25T13:13:17","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T17:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/?p=15576"},"modified":"2019-06-12T14:24:16","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T18:24:16","slug":"chicken-bacon-cheddar-salad-medjool-dates-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/chicken-bacon-cheddar-salad-medjool-dates-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicken Bacon Cheddar Salad with Medjool Dates"},"content":{"rendered":"

If every salad recipe involved a winning flavor combo like chicken bacon cheddar, we\u2019d certainly eat more of them. Use a rotisserie chicken to make this chicken bacon cheddar salad recipe easy and fuss-free and watercress adds a mild spiciness that you\u2019ll love with the sharp cheddar, salty bacon, and sweet medjool dates.<\/p>\n

\"Chicken<\/p>\n

This post is sponsored by Natural Delights<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

My hometown had a few things going for it\u2014good schools, Stars Hollow<\/em> charm, and oddly pleasant people. But a lesser talked about perk of growing up in Medfield, Massachusetts, was the abundance of good sandwich shops (“subs\u201d where I’m from). Back in the 90s and early 2000s, if you had asked anyone around town for a lunch recommendation, they\u2019d have sent you straight to Isabella\u2019s for a Mayflower<\/em> or a Melanzana<\/em>\u2014and if not Isabella\u2019s, then to The Deli, for a toasted Chicken Bacon Cheddar.<\/p>\n

Just thinking about that cheesy, bacon-stuffed blessing takes me way way back<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0my first boyfriend. Some people have songs that allow\u00a0them to reminisce\u2014and I have subs.<\/p>\n

\"Chicken<\/p>\n

It seemed like high time to make a salad with that winning flavor combo: chicken, bacon, cheddar…plus some help from sweet-as-candy Medjool dates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To save time and make life a little easier post-vertigo\/migraine-apocalypse, I picked up\u00a0a rotisserie chicken from my local grocery store (but roasting your own is always a smart idea!). And rather than reaching for my go-to greens, I decided to try something\u00a0new: watercress. The leaves are light and beautifully delicate, which makes for the prettiest presentation, but it has a peppery flavor similar to arugula and radishes. The slight spiciness of the watercress, blended with baby spinach to tone it down just a bit, is so fresh. It works well with the sharpness of the cheddar,\u00a0the saltiness of the\u00a0bacon, and it’s balanced by the naturally sweet\u00a0bites\u00a0of Medjool date.<\/p>\n

\"Chicken<\/p>\n

The Medjool dates really make a big difference. For one, I have a feeling they were meant for salty bacon. But they’re also packed with fiber and potassium (50% more than bananas, hey!) and are just\u00a0such a nice departure from\u00a0other dried fruits I tend to use in salads, like\u00a0raisins, cranberries, or even apricots.\u00a0It’s about time I started mixing it up!<\/p>\n

\"Chicken<\/p>\n

With chicken, it’s a main course, but without, it’d make a great starter or side dish! Enjoy!<\/p>\n

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\"Chicken<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n\t<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print Recipe<\/a>\n\t\n\t
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5<\/span> from 2<\/span> votes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Chicken Bacon Cheddar and Medjool Date Salad<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
The slight spiciness of the watercress, blended with baby spinach to tone it down just a bit, is so fresh. It works well with the sharpness of the cheddar,\u00a0the saltiness of the\u00a0bacon, and it's balanced by the naturally sweet\u00a0bites\u00a0of Medjool date.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Prep Time<\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time<\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Course: <\/span>Salad<\/span><\/div>
Cuisine: <\/span>American<\/span><\/div>
Keyword: <\/span>chicken and bacon salad, easy chicken salad recipe, medjool date salad<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
Servings: <\/span>4<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Calories: <\/span>675<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Author: <\/span>Andie Mitchell<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette<\/h4>
  • 2<\/span> tablespoons<\/span> extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/li>
  • 1<\/span> tablespoon<\/span> apple cider vinegar<\/span><\/li>
  • 1 \u00bd<\/span> teaspoons<\/span> Dijon mustard<\/span><\/li>
  • 2<\/span> teaspoons<\/span> honey<\/span><\/li>
  • \u00bc<\/span> teaspoon<\/span> salt<\/span><\/li>
  • Pinch<\/span> teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>

    Chicken Bacon Cheddar Date Salad<\/h4>
    • 12<\/span> ounces<\/span> roasted chicken breast<\/span> skin removed and shredded (roughly the weight of both breasts on a standard size rotisserie chicken)<\/span><\/li>
    • \u00bd<\/span> pound<\/span> applewood smoked bacon<\/span> pan-fried and crumbled (8 slices)<\/span><\/li>
    • 4<\/span> ounces<\/span> sharp cheddar cheese<\/span> shredded (\u00bd cup)<\/span><\/li>
    • 6<\/span> Natural Delights Medjool Dates<\/span> pitted and finely chopped<\/span><\/li>
    • 3<\/span> cups<\/span> packed watercress<\/span><\/li>
    • 3<\/span> cups<\/span> packed baby spinach<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n

      Instructions<\/h3>
      • In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper. <\/span><\/div><\/li>
      • Add the chicken, bacon, cheddar, Medjool dates, and toss. Add the watercress and spinach and toss gently to combine. <\/span><\/div><\/li>
      • Divide the salad among 4 serving plates and serve immediately.<\/span><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n
        <\/div>\n\n

        Nutrition<\/h3>
        Calories: <\/span>675<\/span>kcal<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Carbohydrates: <\/span>33<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Protein: <\/span>43<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Fat: <\/span>42<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Saturated Fat: <\/span>15<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Cholesterol: <\/span>139<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Sodium: <\/span>810<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Potassium: <\/span>818<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Fiber: <\/span>3<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Sugar: <\/span>27<\/span>g<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Vitamin A: <\/span>3300<\/span>IU<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Vitamin C: <\/span>17.3<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Calcium: <\/span>296<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span> | <\/span>Iron: <\/span>2.3<\/span>mg<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        If every salad recipe involved a winning flavor combo like chicken bacon cheddar, we\u2019d certainly eat more of them. Use …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1158,1059],"tags":[38,151,159,281],"class_list":["post-15576","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","category-salads","tag-bacon","tag-cheese","tag-chicken","tag-fall"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}