Salads are always such a refreshing addition to our meal plan each week and this Warm Chicken Salad with Pesto and Cranberry Dressing would have to be one of my families favourites and a definite crowd pleaser when we entertain. The beauty of it is that you can prepare the chicken strips in bulk and freeze to pull out for a quick yummy meal if you’re pushed for time through the week.

Warm Chicken Salad with Pesto and Cranberry Dressing

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 2 large Chicken Breasts
• 2 cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2 garlic cloves – chopped finely (1/4 tsp to go into Cranberry Dressing)
• 1 tbsp of seeded mustard
• 1 tsp of mixed herbs
• 1 tsp of lemon pepper
• 2 eggs
• 100ml Milk
• 1 cup of Plain Flour
• Mixed salad leaves
• 3 x Roma Tomatoes sliced into wedges
• 3/4 cup of pitted Black Olives
• 1/2 cucumber cut into slices and then halved again
• 1 Red Capsicum thinly sliced
• Feta Cheese cut into cubes
• 1/2 Red Onion

Cranberry Dressing

• 1/2  cup of Cranberry Sauce
• 25 ml Red Wine Vinegar
• 75 ml Olive Oil
• Pepper

Pesto Dressing

• 1 tbsp Pesto
• 25ml Red Wine Vinegar
• 75ml Olive Oil
• Pepper

Method:

1. Turn the oven to 180°c (350°F).
2. Place breadcrumbs, garlic, seeded mustard, mixed herbs and lemon pepper into a bowl. Mix together using your hands to make sure all ingredients are all combined evenly.
3. Place a piece of baking paper on a baking tray and spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the tray. Place in the oven and bake until the mustard in the breadcrumbs dries out. Bake for 5 minutes, mix then spread out of the tray again and bake for a further 5 minutes. Bake in further if necessary but this is normally enough.
4. Slice the chicken breasts into 1cm strips and place on a plate.
5. Set up 3 bowls:
   BOWL 1: Flour
   For BOWL 2: Eggs and milk whisked together.
   BOWL 3: Breadcrumb Mix
6. Prepare a plate with piece of go-between ready for  the chicken as you are crumbing
7. Crumb chicken by firstly dunking the chicken in the flour (shaking off any extra) then the egg and milk mix followed by the breadcrumb mix. Repeat until there is no chicken remaining.
8. Make dressings by placing all the ingredients for the Cranberry Dressing in a jar and the all of the ingredients of the Pesto Dressing into another jar and shake each jar to combine.
9. Prepare 4 plates with a tower of the salad mix in the centre of the plate. Then add the tomato, olives, cucumber, capsicum, feta and red onion evenly between the plates.
10. Heat up a non-stick pan on medium high with a splash of olive oil and begin to cook the chicken. For 4 people I usually cook 16 strips of chicken and have some left over to freeze for another time. Once the breadcrumbs begin to become golden, turn over and cook the other side. This generally takes about 2 minutes each side but ensure that the chicken is cooked right through.
11. Place the chicken on the tower of lettuce and other salad goodies and then using a teaspoon drizzle each of the Pesto and Cranberry dressing around the salad not overdoing it.
12. Sit with your family and friends and enjoy 🙂

TIP: If you’re making this yummy Warm Chicken Salad to entertain then put the salad mix onto a platter for your guests to help themselves rather than individual plates.

Double batch of the chicken strips can be made for later just simply double the recipe. Place the chicken into a freezer proof container with Go Between in between each layer. Label and date and pop into the freezer to enjoy later!

Happy Cooking!

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