seagreen92
Quick and simple to make, this chicken salad is perfect for celebrating a warm spring day.
Today was a crazy day. I entered an appointment into my calendar with the wrong time, and showed up to the appointment only to find out I had missed it. Then, being late seemed to be the theme for the rest of the day. I don’t know about you, but when I have a crazy day like this, I figure it must be time to simplify.
I love this chicken salad because it is so simple to make and serve, especially if you serve it in lettuce wraps or a soft whole wheat tortilla. You can also dress it up and serve it as a fancy finger food in little cream puff shells–my kids favorite!
But getting back to the chicken salad and how easy it is to make. I try to keep cooked, shredded chicken (or even easier de-boned rotisserie chicken) in the freezer for a quick dinner. Pull the chicken out of the freezer and defrost it in the microwave while chopping the veggies and apple. Add the chicken, mayonnaise and seasoning. And abracadabra, dinner is done.
Other easy options for your chicken include: canned chicken, rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken.
I don’t always stick to the recipe. I usually just eyeball it in the bowl, stir it around and see how it looks. For instance, I often use super moist shredded chicken (from slow-cooking in the crock-pot). When the chicken is moist like this, you don’t need lots of mayonnaise. If it is dry leftover chicken, well . . . good luck. 😉 No, don’t despair, just cut your chicken into tiny pieces and make your salad ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge a few hours.
I love lots of crunchy celery in my salad, but maybe you don’t. Use less celery. Love almonds? Throw in some slivered almonds. Do you prefer grapes over crisp apples? Or add both grapes and apples. Whatever your preferences are, make this salad something you love. It will really be a nice ending to a crazy day.
What quick meals do you fix on crazy days?
Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 mayonnaise
1-2 Tbsp horse-radish mustard, optional
1/8 tsp garlic salt
ground black pepper
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix. Serve plain, on lettuce, in bread, or in cream puff shell.