A Cobb salad is usually a big mound of lettuce topped with strips of chopped chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, and blue cheese. I love it, but I’ve noticed that once I mix it up and start eating, my fork is busy fishing around the lettuce trying to catch all the chicken and bacon. So, I decided to hold the lettuce. I did, however, add some watercress, but that’s for its great peppery flavor!

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

　　2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning

　　1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco (eyeball it)

　　2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)

　　3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

　　1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling

　　2 pounds flank steak

　　4 thin chicken breast cutlets

　　1 ripe Hass avocado

　　2 vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

　　1 bunch watercress, trimmed and roughly chopped

　　5 strips Ready Crisp parcooked bacon, crisped in microwave and chopped

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/3 pound blue cheese (such as Maytag Blue), crumbled

　　

Step 1

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.

　　

Step 2

In a bowl mix the garlic, grill seasoning, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Whisk in the EVOO. Divide the mixture between two shallow dishes. Add the flank steak to one and the thin chicken cutlets to the other. Toss to coat all of the meats thoroughly and marinate for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 3

While the flank steak and chicken are marinating, cut the avocado in half lengthwise, cutting around the pit. Separate the halves, then, using a spoon, scoop out the pit and scoop the avocado from its skin. Chop the avocado flesh into bite-size pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, watercress, and crisp chopped bacon. Dress the salad with the lemon juice, a generous drizzle of EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Grill the flank steak for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Grill the chicken cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove both meats from the grill to a cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes. Thinly slice the flank steak on an angle, cutting the meat against the grain. Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add both meats to a platter or dinner plates. Top the meats with a mound of the salad and garnish with a generous dose of blue cheese crumbles. Eat and enjoy the lack of lettuce getting in your way!

　　Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals