Our weekly Real Meal offers you a healthy dinner idea, allowing you to make the most of the organic and all-natural products featured in our Weekly Real Deals. This Autumn Chicken and Butternut Squash Salad offers all the flavors of Fall that we love! Make this salad with Anjou pears or local IPM apples. The apple cider vinegar dressing ties it all together and the bacon lends a salty, irresistible flavor. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown bacon strips until crispy on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside to cool on a kitchen towel (one you don’t mind getting grease-stained).
- In the same pan, add cubed chicken breast and butternut squash, diced small. Season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides, moving chicken and squash as needed for evening cooking. Cover the pan and cook until internal temperature for the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, and squash is tender. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1/3 cup olive oil with ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tbsp honey. Shake well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To assemble salad, top spinach or lettuce with cooked chicken, cooked butternut squash, sliced Anjou pears and/or sliced Honeycrisp apples, crumbled bacon, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with dressing, and serve.