Summer Cobb Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Salad Base:

6-8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (option to sub in ham)

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced

4 hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 chopped bell pepper (or sub in tomatoes)

1-2 cups chopped cucumber

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup diced chives

4-6 large handfuls mesculin mix

Vinaigrette Dressing:

1/3 up extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

Juice from half a lemon

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to tase

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep the proteins: Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Cook and dice your chicken breasts, and hard-boil your eggs. Set aside to cool.
2. Make the dressing: While the chicken and eggs are cooking, place all dressing ingredients into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.
3. Cut the vegetables: Chop red pepper and/or tomatoes, cucumber and chives. Peel, pit and chop avocado. Crumble feta cheese.
4. Arrange the salad: Spread the chopped lettuce across a large serving platter or a wide, shallow bowl. Lay out the chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, and blue cheese in neat, parallel rows over the top of the greens.
5. Serve: Garnish with chives and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve the dressing on the side so everyone can drizzle it to their liking.