Description
A hearty autumn salad layered with crispy cornmeal-crusted baked chicken, crisp apples, toasted nuts, and creamy gorgonzola over fresh greens, all finished with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Crispy Cornmeal Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Olive oil spray (for baking)
For the Salad:
- 4 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, or spring mix)
- 1 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans or walnuts
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Pound chicken breasts to even thickness. Dip in buttermilk, then dredge in a mixture of cornmeal, panko, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place chicken on prepared sheet, spray lightly with olive oil, and bake 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through (165°F internal temp). Let rest, then slice.
- Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Assemble salad: Arrange greens in a large bowl or platter. Top with sliced chicken, apple slices, gorgonzola, pecans, onion, and cranberries. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently to serve.
Notes
- Substitute gorgonzola with blue cheese or goat cheese if preferred.
- Add roasted butternut squash for extra fall flavor.
- Chicken can be cooked ahead of time and served warm or chilled.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad / Main Course
- Method: Baked + Assembled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
