New York summers are usually uncomfortably hot and humid, so I often turn to salads for summertime meals to avoid spending too much time in the kitchen. I bake boneless chicken thighs for this but if I can get my hands on a rotisserie chicken from the market, I don’t have to turn on the oven at all.  I like Cobb salad either naked (the salad, not me!) or with a splash of ranch dressing. Blue cheese is traditional, but I prefer the creaminess of feta. Sometimes I mix it up with sliced cucumber or red onion. Go traditional with vinaigrette in place of ranch and blue cheese instead of feta.

INGREDIENTS
4 strips bacon
romaine or green leaf lettuce
2 cooked boneless chicken thighs, chopped into cubes
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
kosher salt
ground black pepper
ranch salad dressing

TOOLS
medium (10-inch) skillet
kitchen tongs
paper towels
plate
measuring cups and spoons

METHOD
1. Fry bacon in skillet over low heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon and set aside.
2. Wash and dry lettuce leaves with paper towels, then place lettuce on plate.
3. Arrange cooked chicken, cubed avocado, chopped eggs, crumbled feta and slice tomatoes on top of lettuce. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top with dressing and serve.

NOTES & TIPS
• Salad will stay fresh overnight if you don’t add the dressing beforehand and store it in an airtight container.

READY IN
20 minutes

YIELD
2 servings