Sassy Southern Cobb Salad

My eyes dance a little bit more on Fridays.  Being the diving board into the weekend that they are, Fridays pull me in and captivate me, week after week.  Typically, Fridays are lovely.  

Inspiration for my blog post today comes, again, from Sheryl Crow's cookbook.  We made a version of this salad twice in 10 days.  It is versatile, nutritious, and rainbow food at its peak and prime.   

Enjoyed alongside a bountiful glass of red wine, this meal is, to me, one amazing dinner.  It is satiating but not overwhelming, sassy but not fancy, and extremely fun to create. 

Hubby even enjoys this salad for dinner, but he did prefer the version with the roasted leftover chicken and bacon, as compared with the version with bacon only . . . being the carnivorous hunk that he is. 

I used Sheryl's recipe as my ladder to the diving board.  The ingredients below are the ingredients I used specifically, based on the cookbook's recipe. Sheryl's version uses homemade "tobacco onions", which are basically fancy onion rings. We used frozen ones, and they were an incredible touch to the salad.  Her version uses country ham; I chose bacon. 

Of course, these ingredients are just a foundation. Use whatever kinds of cheeses and veggies you like best. We felt that the lightest touch of bleu cheese dressing was perfect, but a honey dijon dressing would also be magical. The cookbook recommended a buttermilk dressing (also delish). Enjoy.

Sassy Southern Cobb Salad
Recipe:  inspired by the Southern Cobb Salad in the cookbook, If It Makes You Healthy

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce or any other green leafy lettuce
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
palmful of cherry tomatoes, halved
your favorite cheese, cubed or shredded
sauteed zucchini slices (a wonderful addition - we had one zucchini leftover from the zucchini muffins last weekend!)
2-3 slices of bacon
roasted chicken, cubed
1 red or orange pepper, seeds removed and chopped
6-8 frozen onion rings, cooked and seasoned with some sea salt
your favorite dressing (a little goes a long way)
S & P to taste

The Process:
Assemble your Sassy Southern Cobb Salad by arranging the greens in the center of the plate and then decorating all around the plate with the cheese, meat, onion rings, and veggies. 

Here are the 2 versions we created for 2 different dinners. 

Without a doubt in my mind, the onion rings are the star of this show.  They add the most awesome crunch and flavor when combined on a fork with the other ingredients.  The veggies are crisp and bright.  The meat brings depth and heartiness.   And, what is a salad without cheese? 

Bon Appetit, and Happy Friday.