Friday's Kid Tested Recipe: The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever (at least my family thinks so)!

I hate sneaking food into my children's diets, so I thought I would share some of the recipes that I make with my kids (ages 4 & 2)! When kids help cook, they rarely avoid the food because they helped to make it! I'll try to note steps that even the youngest children can help with in the kitchen!

This is definitely a great recipe for you, even if you don't have kids! And if you make extra chicken ahead of time, you can stretch the chicken into a multitude of recipes throughout the week without getting bored! My kids gobble this salad up every time! They love all the colors and the fresh berries and pineapple! (and look I finally remembered to take a picture!)

The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever!

The best baked chicken and summer fruits salad ever
(at least my family thinks so)!!

What you'll need to make it (for 4 entree size portions)!
Baked Chicken:
1 lb Chicken tenderloins (baked – see below), Olive Oil, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, Ground Black Pepper
Salad:
Strawberries (1 quart, hulled, and sliced)
Blueberries (1/2 pint washed)
Canned Chunk Pineapple (depending on the sizes of the pineapple chunks, you may want to slice into smaller bites, we use about 1/2 of a can)
Feta Cheese
Baby Romaine Lettuce (we buy the pre-washed organic)
Dressing of your choice (we like Kraft Parmesan Balsamic Vinaigrette, my oldest likes Ranch, my youngest likes his plan)
Yummy add-ins: sunflower seeds, almonds slices, toasted pecans, or croutons

How to make it!
Baked Chicken (and you can make this ahead of time and refrigerate):
I typically use Chicken Tenderloins because they cook faster and I will cook up 2-3 pounds at a time for leftovers! Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prep the tenderloins by removing the tendons (stringy white thing by pulling your knife on either side). Place tenderloins in a single-layer in a heavy baking dish (glass or ceramic works best) and lightly toss in Olive Oil, then lightly season with Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, and Ground Black Pepper. Cover your baking dish with foil and place dish in pre-heated oven. No need to really check on this one (never serve raw or undercooked poultry so check doneness with a meat thermometer). I always “over-cook” chicken, so I leave in the oven for ~2 hours. When you remove from the oven, shred the chicken into small pieces using two forks. If you make extra chicken, you can save for BBQ chicken sandwiches (just add small dinner rolls and BBQ sauce), Chicken Quesadillas (just add tortillas and cheese)..and many more ideas!

Preparing the Salad:
Place greens in each dish first – be generous, there are lots of good vitamins in greens! Then add your berries, pineapple, and feta cheese. Top each salad with a handful of shredded chicken and lightly drizzle with your favorite salad dressing (obviously some flavors will taste better - think vinaigrette when you're shopping)!

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Have a great recipe or a food/cooking blog? Feel free to link up now or send me an e-mail! I am going to start featuring recipes of others every friday...I just haven't gotten my act together yet! I'd love it if you'd grab the button, but it's not a requirement to join in!