Watermelon and Chicken Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing

The fact that we are now in September completely blows my mind.  While I am so delighted to welcome Fall and all of its glory, the foodie in me is not ready to give up summer produce. The fruits and veggies this time of year cannot be beat. So, we are making the most of it until these goodies run out. Then, I'll shift my focus to squash and apples and be excited about that, too. Until then, DON'T LEAVE ME,  PEACHES. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you.

Another summer treat I love is watermelon. We've been buying a small, personal-sized seedless watermelon each week and cutting it up. It's a great snack to keep in the fridge. It also made for a really, really good salad the other night. I found a Southern Living pepper jelly dressing recipe and thought the combo of grilled chicken and watermelon on a salad would be a quick weeknight meal. I wasn't expecting it to rock my world, but it did. Keith was obsessed and said at least 8 times that night how much he loved this salad. He has since mentioned it to me twice. That's when I know I've found a good one!

Watermelon and Chicken Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing
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Ingredients
Chicken:
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salad:
5 cups cubed and seeded watermelon
1 (6-ounce) package mixed greens (I used Romaine)
1/2 cup feta crumbles
3/4 cup honey roasted almonds (I buy them in a package to save time)
Small handful of chopped fresh mint leaves

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup pepper jelly
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. In a plastic bag, combine chicken breasts with lime zest, lime juice, honey, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Seal bag and toss around to combine. If you have time to marinade, that's great, but these can go straight to the grill after a few minutes and still be full of flavor.
2. In a small bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, pepper jelly, lime juice, onion, salt and pepper. Whisk until the jelly begins to dissolve. Slowly add the oil, whisking until it all combines. Set aside. 
   
3. Toss together the watermelon, greens, feta, and almonds. Drizzle dressing over, or toss. Slice chicken and serve on top. Sprinkle with fresh mint.

Note: Since I was making this for just two of us, I did about half of the salad ingredients. I made the full batch of chicken and salad dressing (for leftovers), but assembled the salads using less of the greens, cheese, watermelon, etc.

Don't be surprised if you freak out over the dressing. It's AMAZING.

Happy end-of-summer!