Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad

Let me pose this question- Is there anything that doesn't taste better with buffalo chicken? No, no there's not.

I'm crazy about wings. Seriously. Let me describe a scenario for you- warm, crispy hot wings served alongside creamy, cool blue cheese dressing, crunchy celery sticks, and an ice-cold beer. Don't you just want to be there? I do! Add a football game to aforementioned situation, and you've got yourself a perfect Sunday. Chicken is a pretty common addition to salads, so I decided to take it one step further and "buffalo-ize" the evening's salad.

All I can say is, make this today! The final result was my favorite salad of the week, one I'll be repeating. And ladies, this is a very man-friendly salad. The hubby scarfed his down, and then was kind of looking around for more. Any night I can feed him a salad and call it dinner is a good night. I'll add that changing his diet has helped him tremendously. He started eating better in September, after a high cholesterol reading. He had his cholesterol taken a couple days ago, and much to our relief, it was in the normal range. This was a significant drop. Just a gentle reminder that you can tailor your favorite foods so that you can indulge in them in a healthier way.

What does everyone have on deck for today? The one thing I have on my to-do list that I've been avoiding for the last couple of days is giving the dogs a haircut and bathing them. They hate it. I hate it. Misery all around. However, they are starting to smell like dogs, and that, I hate even more. I plan on going to the gym, just so they think they've gotten off scot-free for the day. Then, I'll ambush them when I get home. Mwhahahahaha.

That was my evil laugh :)

Happy Tuesday friends!

Ingredients (serves 2):

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

2 tbsp canola oil

1 chicken breast

salt and pepper

1 egg, slightly scrambled

1 cup panko

1 tbsp buffalo sauce

4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Prepare dressing according to directions. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

2. Preheat oven to 425º. Heat canola oil in a oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. While oil is heating, prepare chicken. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into egg, draining of any excess. Dredge chicken through panko, shaking off any excess. When oil is hot, add chicken. Pan-fry on each side 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. When chicken is browned, transfer skillet to the oven. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove skillet from oven, brush buffalo sauce onto each side, and allow chicken to rest while you prepare the salad.

3. In a large bowl, combine romaine, tomatoes, and celery. Add enough dressing to preference, and toss to combine. Divide among 2 plates. Slice chicken, and divide among plates. Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles over each plate, and serve immediately.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck