Recipes and Cooking Cajun Chicken Salad with Cornbread Croutons 5.0 (1) 1 Review Reinvent an entire Southern supper into a robust salad with big, brassy flavors. By Emily Teel Emily Teel Instagram Website Emily is a senior food editor at Better Homes & Garden based in McMinnville, Oregon. She was previously the editor-in-chief of Spoonful Magazine, the food and drinks editor for Statesman Journal, and a restaurant critic at The Courier Post. She began her food career in restaurants and working for nonprofit organizations supporting sustainable agriculture and hunger-relief organizations in Pennsylvania. She is a seasoned food writer, recipe developer, and food media content creator who has contributed regularly to Serious Eats, Wine & Spirits, Kitchn, Philadelphia Magazine, Eater, and Edible Communities publications. Her writing has also appeared in USA Today, Rachael Ray Everyday, and Huffington Post Taste, among others. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 26, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Carson Downing Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 chicken thighs, 6 cups greens, 1 cup blackeyed peas and 2 cups cornbread croutons Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 6 - 8 ounce day-old cornbread, cut into bite-size cubes (about 2 cups) 2 ½ teaspoon salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning 4 slices bacon, cut in thirds 1 - 1 ¼ pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs 2 tablespoon cider vinegar 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 cup canned or frozen black eyed peas (drained or thawed) 10 cup torn kale leaves and/or mustard greens, stems removed 2 tablespoon pickled okra brine ⅔ cup pickled okra, halved if large Directions For cornbread croutons, preheat oven to 400°F. Spread cornbread cubes in single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of the Cajun seasoning and 1/4 tsp. salt. Gently stir to coat. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown, gently turning cubes once. Meanwhile, In a large skillet cook bacon over medium until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings (add vegetable oil if needed); set 1 Tbsp. aside and leave 1 Tbsp. in the skillet. Season chicken with the remaining 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning and 1/4 tsp. salt. In the same skillet cook chicken over medium-high 6 minutes or until deep golden brown. Turn and cook 6 to 8 minutes more or until done (175°F.) Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. Add vinegar and mustard to skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Add black-eyed peas; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. In a large bowl combine kale and/or mustard greens, pickled okra brine, and 1 Tbsp. reserved bacon drippings. Massage greens with your hands about a minute or until tender. Slice chicken. Transfer greens to a platter. Top with chicken, black-eyed pea mixture, bacon, okra, and croutons. If you like, drizzle with additional okra brine. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 425 Calories 20g Fat 41g Carbs 23g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 425 % Daily Value * Total Fat 20g 26% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 78mg 26% Sodium 654mg 28% Total Carbohydrate 41g 15% Total Sugars 11g Protein 23g Vitamin C 102mg 510% Calcium 243mg 19% Iron 4.6mg 26% Potassium 913mg 19% Folate, total 106.7mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.5mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.