When I was pregnant with both my kids, I could not get enough of Smashburger’s Baja Cobb Salad. I would go there for lunch and dinner, sometimes…well most times getting a side order of fried pickles. I know pretty stereotypical. Since I also enjoyed this salad when not pregnant and we don’t have a Smashburger within hundreds of miles from here, I had to resort to making my own. It took me a while to get the dressing just right, but I think I finally got it down. This is the perfect weeknight dinner; It’s a pretty simple recipe, extremely fulfilling, even the husband liked it!

You can make the dressing ahead of time, I normally do that in the morning. All the dressing is, is mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and cumin. Pulse those together in a mini food processor, then store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. Feel free to save any left over dressing as a condiment for a sandwich or dipping sauce for later in the week. You will also have leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you can also store that in the refrigerator for later uses.

The only other items you will need to prep is the bacon and guacamole. You can buy store-bought guac or you can make your own. I find guacamole from scratch is so much better than store-bought. So if you have time and can make some, do that! With the bacon my personal preference is to bake the bacon in the oven at 400℉ for 17-20 minutes on a pan lined with a wired rack. For the rest of the salad you need, sliced red onion, sliced fresh jalapeño, shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro and cherry tomatoes. I had to omit the tomatoes on the night I made this, because a honey badger ate them off the counter….

Oh, you can’t forget the chicken. I bought boneless, skinless, thin sliced chicken breasts. For some reason I love the thin sliced instead of the thick cut. But if you can’t find the thin sliced chicken, you can buy the thick cut breasts and cut them in half yourself. All we did was marinate the chicken in olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, lime juice, cilantro and grilled it up.

After the chicken is done, then you can assemble and enjoy! If you think you will have leftovers, or you want leftovers for lunch the next day, I recommend plating the salad then adding the dressing and guacamole to each individual dish. This will prevent the salad from getting funky and soggy by the next day.

 

Baja Cobb Chicken Salad
Serves 3-4

Chipotle Dressing: (yields: 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Chicken:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, thin sliced

Salad:
5 ounces mixed greens
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 jalapeño, thin sliced rounds
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 strips of thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup guacamole, homemade (see below) or store-bought

To make the dressing add mayonnaise, chipotle peppers and ground cumin in a blender or mini food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside or store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

Add chicken to a bowl with olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mix and set aside. Heat grill over high direct heat. Grill until chicken is cooked through about 4 minutes per side. Let chicken cool slightly then dice.

To assemble the salad combine mixed greens, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, tomatoes, cheese, bacon in a large serving dish. Plate the salad on individual dishes, top with diced chicken, guacamole and dressing.

 

Guacamole
yields: 1 cup

1/4 cup minced white onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
1/4 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup water
Optional: serve with tortilla chips

Combine onion, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper in a bowl. Add avocado, lime juice and salt. Mash the avocado until smooth. Add water and stir to combine. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator. If you would like to serve the guacamole as a dip, I recommend doubling this recipe.