HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN SALAD

 Served with romaine, strawberries, avocado, corn, and the most succulent, delicate honey mustard chicken. The dressing is flawless, too!

I've got the most incredible news ever.

Chicago will see a 63 F temperature on Sunday. I know; I also had trouble believing it. Even the eateries are cleaning up and preparing their outdoor seating areas for the next warm weekend.

And if you've been enduring the Midwest winter, it's safe to assume that we all wish we could stuff our hats, gloves, and parkas into a storage unit and not see them again until November or December.

Even this weekend, I'm going to turn on the barbecue to cook this honey mustard chicken and the cilantro lime chicken.

Which to make first, I'm not exactly sure. Most likely this version of honey mustard. We have greens, after all!

Fresh strawberries, silky avocado slices, sweet, juicy corn kernels, and crisp romaine lettuce are all available. The bacon bits, too, which are salty and crunchy. You can't overlook those.

My favorite aspect is that we can use the dressing as both a marinade and a dressing, thereby accomplishing two goals at once. In addition, the chicken thighs are amazingly moist and delicate.

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 head romaine, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ cups quartered strawberries
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup corn kernels, canned or roasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together Dijon mustard, green onions, olive oil, honey, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and reserve one-third of the mixture. Until you are ready to serve, store the remaining 2/3 of the mixture in the fridge.
2. Chicken and the saved Dijon mixture should be combined and marinated for at least two hours and up to six hours, occasionally flipping the bag. Chicken should be removed from the marinade.
3. Grill should be warmed to medium.
4. Apply canola oil to the chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken on the grill, and cook, rotating once or twice, for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
5. A big skillet is warmed up over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it is crispy and browned. Transfer bacon to a dish lined with paper towels after draining excess grease.
6. Place the romaine lettuce in a big bowl, then add the chicken, bacon, strawberries, avocado, and corn to finish out the salad. Then, drizzle the Dijon dressing over the salad and toss to incorporate.
7. Serve right away.