Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

OMG! I love me a good cobb salad. The best are made with iceberg lettuce, chopped deli meats, hard boiled eggs, and cheese. Loads and loads of cheese please. When you're out in the middle of no where and have to eat at a diner or truck stop, you can always count on a good ol' cobb salad. They're dependable, unless the lettuce is soggy. That's a bummer. Fortunately, this cobb salad does not have soggy lettuce. It is really quite appetizing if I do not say so myself.

Romaine lettuce and cucumbers provide a nutrient packed bed of crunch that its iceberg cousin just can't compete with. I swapped the deli meats for some lean grilled chicken and bacon for flavor. The cheese you ask? Where's the cheese? Well, it is in the lovely blue cheese vinaigrette that is hiding under all the beautiful toppings. Dependable and flavorful. What more could you ask for?

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
inspired by all those diners out there

For the salad:

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large cucumber, skinned and chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
6 slices cooked center cut bacon, crumbled
2 cups grilled chicken breast, chopped

For the blue cheese vinaigrette:

1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

To assemble the salad, divide all ingredients among four bowls layering the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, eggs, bacon, and chicken or serve in one large bowl. To make the salad dressing, whisk all ingredients together until combined leaving a few chunks of blue cheese for flavor. Serve with the salad.