What's for Dinner? Saucy Apricot Chicken and Avocado Tomato Salad

Photo taken by Laura Henry

Perhaps instead of "What's for Dinner" my post title should be "Recipes from Taste of Home."  We have had really good luck with most of the recipes we've tried and today you get a two-fer.  Yes that's two recipes in one post - Saucy apricot chicken and avocado tomato salad.  Both these recipes came out of Taste of Home Busy Family Favorites cookbook.

Saucy Apricot Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 1 cup Catalina salad dressing
• 2-3 tablespoons onion soup mix

Directions

• In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter and oil over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  
• Combine the jam, salad dressing and soup mix and pour over chicken.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 170 degrees

Yield: 8 servings

Avocado Tomato Salad

Photo by: Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups torn mixed salad greens
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup real bacon bits
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Divide the greens, tomatoes and avocado among four salad plates; sprinkle with bacon.  In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients.  Drizzle over salads.

Yield: 4 servings
  
Nutritional Facts 1 serving equals 171 calories, 15 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 535 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein.

The trick to this salad is to make your own bacon bits.  We cook our bacon in the oven on a stone.  It's so yummy.  I can't wait to make this salad again.  It's definitely one of the best salads I've ever had.  The chicken was pretty good too but the salad could be a meal all by itself.

Doesn't it look yummy?

Photo taken by Laura Henry