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Southwest Turkey Cobb Salad

Serves 4

This recipe was tested by thousands of school students from coast to coast as part of a collaboration between Yum-o! and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Originally created to be served in schools, we’ve adapted the recipe here for you to try at home.

Would you like to see this recipe on your school lunch menu? Visit the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s website to learn how!

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 turkey breast cutlets, pounded 1/8-inch thick
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 3 hearts of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, regular or low fat, shredded
  • 1 can black beans (15.5 ounces), rinsed and drained
  • 1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces) or 2-3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 small to medium red bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

 For the Yum-o! Southwest Ranch:

  • 1 cup low fat store-bought ranch dressing
  • 3 roasted red peppers or pimentos, peeled and seeded
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Season both sides of the turkey cutlets with the spice mixture.
  3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO, two turns of the pan. Add the cutlets to the pan, making sure not to crowd the pan (cook in batches if necessary), and cook, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side. Remove the cutlets from the pan, let cool slightly and cut into strips or cubes.
  4. Add the ranch dressing, pimentos, chili powder, cumin, lime and cilantro to a food processor and pulse to combine until the pimentos are pureed. Empty the flavored ranch into a bowl and stir in the scallions. Season with pepper, to taste.
  5. To serve, arrange rows of the cooked turkey, shredded cheese, black beans, corn, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro (if using) on top of either four individual portions of romaine dressed in the Yum-o! Southwest Ranch dressing, or on one large serving platter. Pass more dressing around at the table to drizzle on top.

Photo credit: Burcu Avsar