Big Chicken Crouton Salad Recipes

CHICKEN SALAD - QUICK, EASY, BIG!

Steps:

• Dressing: Place ingredients in a jar, shake, set aside for at least 10 minutes to let flavours meld.
• Salad: Place all ingredients except bacon in a big bowl. Drizzle over most of the Dressing, then toss well.
• Transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with remaining Dressing. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately!

CHICKEN CAESAR CROUTON CUPS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Stir the butter, grated garlic and Italian seasoning in a small bowl until combined. Use a rolling pin to flatten out each slice of bread. Trim the edges to remove the crusts and make each slice into a 3-inch square. Brush both sides of each slice with the butter mixture. Press one slice into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, so that the bread is completely covering the bottom and the corners are coming up the sides of the cup.
• Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan 15 minutes, then transfer the crouton cups to a rack to cool completely; they will crisp up as they cool.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave 12 small Parmesan curls onto a small plate. Finely grate the remaining Parmesan (you will need 3 tablespoons) and set aside.
• Mound the anchovies, chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon salt on a cutting board. Using the side of a chef's knife, mash and chop the anchovies and garlic until well combined, then continue to work the mixture, holding the knife blade at an angle, until a smooth paste forms.
• Whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard together in a medium bowl. Adding drop by drop to start and whisking constantly, drizzle a few drops of oil into the yolk mixture. Continue, going slowly, until all the oil has been used and the mixture looks thick and creamy. Add the anchovy mixture and the grated Parmesan and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
• Toss the lettuce, chicken and half of the dressing in a large bowl, then taste and add additional dressing if desired. Mound some salad inside each crouton cup, then top each with a Parmesan curl and serve.

CRISPY CROUTON SALAD

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a single layer in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 450° for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring twice. Cool., In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, yellow pepper and basil. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with croutons.

SPRING SALAD WITH CRISPY CHICKEN AND BACONY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 475ºF. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, remove bones, keeping skin and flesh intact; discard bones. Season chicken all over with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Heat a medium cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Sear chicken skin side down, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, 4-6 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Carefully pour off all but 2 tsp. fat and wipe off any fat that drips onto side or bottom of skillet. Return chicken to skillet skin side up. Transfer to oven and roast chicken, tenting skillet with foil if skin becomes too dark halfway through, until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, 8-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until just crispy, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a large heatproof bowl. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat. Heat fat in skillet over medium. Add bread in an even layer, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, turning pieces occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; add 1 Tbsp. vinegar and toss until absorbed. Let cool a few minutes, then taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer croutons to bowl with bacon.
• Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a plate; reserve skillet with fat and pan drippings. Let chicken cool 5-10 minutes, then cut into 1" pieces.
• Cook shallot, peas, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in reserved skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until shallots are softened and peas are cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oil and remaining 2 Tbsp. vinegar (mixture will bubble) with a heatproof spatula. (If you want to ensure bright green peas, cook them separately in a small saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave and sprinkle over top of salad after plating.)
• Add escarole, fennel, and radishes to bowl with bacon and croutons. Pour warm dressing over. Toss to combine and slightly wilt greens.
• Mound salad among plates; nestle in chicken pieces. Top with mint. Serve immediately.

CROUTON SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until toasted. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium salad bowl, mix together the cooled croutons, arugula, and pine nuts. Add the Citrus-Herb Sauce. Toss well until all ingredients are coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
• *Cook's Note: You can also use olive bread or any plain rustic loaf in place of the rosemary bread.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When hot, put a cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat, about 5 minutes.
• Dry the chicken with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Generously season the chicken inside and out with the salt mixture. Stuff the chicken cavity with the thyme, rosemary, garlic and onion.
• Slice the baguette on the bias into five 2-inch-thick slices. Spread some butter on one side of each slice. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and arrange the baguette slices buttered-side down in the center of the skillet. Place the chicken on the baguette slices, making sure all of the bread is covered by the chicken. Roast until the chicken is golden brown, an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Remove the baguette slices from the skillet and reserve.
• For the pan sauce: While the chicken is resting, put the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the wine and scrape with a wooden spoon to remove all the brown bits. Add the chicken stock and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. If any juices from the chicken have collected on the cutting board, pour them into the skillet now. Add in the butter piece by piece, waiting for each to melt before stirring in the next piece. Stir in the rosemary and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• For serving: Carve the chicken and serve with the baguette slices, pan sauce, Dijon mustard and Bistro Salad.
• Combine the lettuce and herbs in a medium bowl. In a glass jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, mustard, salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Pour over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

ROAST CHICKEN SALAD WITH CROUTONS AND SHALLOT DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing: In a bowl, combine shallots and vinegar and set aside 10 to 30 minutes to soften. Add 2 big pinches of salt and a dozen grinds of black pepper. Whisk in the oil and then the parsley. Taste and add more oil, salt and pepper as needed.
• Make the croutons: Gently warm the olive oil in a skillet. When a piece of bread sizzles when dropped into the pan, add all the bread and cook slowly, stirring, until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with salt, transfer croutons to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
• In the same pan, add the cooled chicken juices (they may have jelled). Don't worry if your chicken doesn't have juices; the salad will still be excellent. Add a tablespoon of water to pan and heat juices until smooth and runny. Dice or tear the chicken into bite-size pieces.
• In a large bowl, toss the greens well with about 2/3 of the dressing. Taste and add more if needed. Divide greens among 3 or 4 bowls or plates. On top, divide the chicken, then the croutons, then the juices. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 3 or 4 thin, wide slices of cheese on top of each salad. Spoon a little more dressing on top and grind pepper over. Serve immediately.

LEMON CHICKEN SALAD WITH CRUNCHY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Sit the chicken breasts snugly in a small roasting tin, then drizzle over half of the lemon juice. Sprinkle over the lemon zest, rosemary and some salt and pepper. Roast for 20 mins until golden brown and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, cut the focaccia into bite-size cubes and spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 15 mins, turning occasionally until crunchy and golden.
• Lift out the chicken and thickly slice. Stir the remaining lemon juice and the olive oil into the tin, scraping up any nice brown bits from the bottom. Place the chicken in a very large serving bowl with the lettuce leaves, avocado, croûtons, peppers and chives. Add the lemony juices, toss well together, then serve just warm.

SALAD CROUTONS

Steps:

• Pour the oil into an 8-in. square baking pan; add garlic. Bake at 325° until garlic is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add bread and onion salt; stir to coat. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until the bread is lightly browned, stirring frequently. Store in an airtight container.

CHICKEN CROUTON HOT DISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the broth, soup, sour cream and butter. Stir in croutons and chicken. , Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 20-25 minutes.