Seattle Chop Salad

When I moved from my hometown of Anchorage Alaska I swear I went through withdrawal. No I didn't miss the long frigid winter, I missed a place called the Snow City Cafe. I ate at my favorite eatery at least once a week. My lunch of choice was a piece of brilliance called the Seattle Chop Salad. I would sit at my 7th floor downtown office and literally salivate at the thought of this hearty salad that blends the flavors of roasted chicken, thick bacon, crisp romaine lettuce, tangy blue cheese, and perfectly cooked macaroni noodles that soaked up their sweet home-made vinaigrette.

Now I don't have the Snow City Cafe recipe, and if I did I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate me sharing it. So I've come up with my own version of my favorite salad that's as close as I can get it. I'm resigned to the fact that this will never be THE perfect Seattle Chop Salad, but I must say it's a pretty darn good second, because with each bite I find myself back at my favorite cafe.

I've attached a link to the Snow City Cafe for anyone that may have the chance to visit them in Anchorage. I highly recommend it! They have AMAZING breakfasts also........well, just take a look at the menu posted on their site and you'll see.

www.snowcitycafe.com

You will not regret taking the time to stop in for a meal at the Snow City Cafe! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 med chicken breasts; cooked, diced & chilled

1 C macaroni noodles; cooked, drained & chilled

8 slices thick smoked bacon; fried & crumbled

1 med head romaine lettuce; cleaned, drained & chopped

1 small head green leaf lettuce; cleaned, drained & chopped

2 medium tomatoes; chopped

2 green onions; sliced thin

1 pkg blue cheese crumbles 

1 bottle of your favorite sweet vinaigrette (we use Brianna's Blush)

One of the great things about this dish is you can fix all the items ahead and put them together when it's time to eat. 

• Bake the chicken breasts sprinkled with your favorite seasoning (I use Johnny's Seasoned Salt) at 350 degrees for aprox 30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and dice; set aside until meal time.
• Cook the macaroni according to package instructions taking care not to over cook. When finished cooking, drain and set aside for later. Mix in aprox 2 Tablespoons dressing to keep the macaroni from sticking together when it cools.
• Fry bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble before setting aside for later.
• Rinse and drain lettuce; chop and set into a bowl, mix in previously cooked & cooled macaroni. Top with chopped & chilled chicken, bacon, tomato and green onion. FYI - the Snow City Cafe version doesn't have green onion, but I love the flavor addition.
• Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles over the top of salad before serving. Top with dressing when served. 

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.  -- Jenn