School is back in session, so that means summer is coming to an end. Even though fall doesn’t officially start until late September, the start of school makes me want to enjoy these few last weeks of summer even more. And I think I’ll start with this Grilled Peach Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad.

Do you remember those Spiced Grilled Peaches I made a few weeks ago? Well, I used that same recipe to make these grilled peaches and added them to this salad. The rest of the flavor combinations came together by accident. After I made the grilled peaches the second time, I knew that I wanted to pair them with something savory but didn’t know what.

I planned on pairing them with slices of bacon as an appetizer, which was tasty, but I felt that it needed a little more depth. Since it was lunch time, I prepared a grilled chicken salad and was going to eat the peaches on the side, but instead I added them to my salad. I also added some goat cheese, some bacon and a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.

Grilled Peach Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

This Grilled Peach Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad was out of this world. The sweet and slightly tangy taste of the peaches complemented the goat cheese and bacon perfectly. The grilled chicken and balsamic vinaigrette was the icing on the cake. Delicious.

The grilled chicken was easy to make. I just seasoned it and cooked it on my stovetop grill until it was done. The stovetop grill is a lifesaver for those days that I don’t feel like firing up our huge charcoal grill.

Grilled Peach Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad

Click here for a printable version.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6-ounce chicken breast, boneless and skinless
• 6 cups spring salad mix
• 4-6 Spiced Grilled Peaches from this recipe
• 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
• ⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup crumbled bacon pieces
• 1-2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Season chicken with garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper.
2. Heat stovetop grill to medium heat and add oil.
3. Add chicken to grill and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked throughout. Set aside.
4. Follow this recipe to make the Spiced Grilled Peaches.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the spring salad mix and grape tomatoes.
6. Arrange the salad on a large platter and add grilled peaches on top.
7. Slice grilled chicken and place it on top of the salad.
8. Sprinkle goat cheese and bacon pieces on top.
9. To make the dressing, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper to a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are mixed well.
10. Drizzle dressing over the salad and serve. Enjoy.

Recipe notes

Nutritional information (serving size 1/6th of the recipe): calories 281, fat 13 grams, saturated fat 3 grams, carbohydrates 4 grams, fiber 4 grams, protein 12 grams, sugar 8 grams.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.