For His Master's Veneration: Better than Lunch Ladies Chicken Salad

To make a great chicken salad you have to start with the best tasting chicken, Right?

The old fashioned way to make chicken salad was to boil the meat. Who can do this to the star of the dish? Let's see if we can't do better. Add the crunch of celery and a mix seedless red grapes and dried cranberries. Make the dressing pop with a touch of maple flavor and lemon. Honey, you have the makings of a new legend.

Now use this to fill a lettuce leaf, a tortilla wrap, a hollowed out tomato, or nice warm toast and bite into a bit of heaven!

Ingredients

1 – 2 lbs cooked chicken*

2 stalks (to 3 stalks) celery, chopped

3 whole green onions, chopped

½ Cup red seedless grapes, halved

½ Cup dried cranberries

½ C mayonnaise

½ C plain Greek style yogurt or sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Smokehouse Maple steak seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: ½ C slivered almonds toasted. Stir in a dry non stick skillet until you smell the aroma!

3 slices bacon cooked and chopped

* I used left-over baked thighs and a couple of new skinless breasts sauteed in bacon grease –don't hate me.

Directions

Do your cutting: Rinse and chop the celery and green onions – both the white and green parts.

Slice the grapes lengthwise, mix in the cranberries and place them in a large bowl.

Using the beautiful new birthday present my Master bought me!

Fry up 3 slices of bacon reserving the grease. Saute the chicken breasts (about 6- mins per side)

You don't want to overcook so check with a thermometer and pull at 150!

While that is cooking, chop up the bacon into ½ inch bits.

When chicken hits 150 (that's right) transfer to a plate and cover with a loose sheet of foil for about 10 – 15 mins.

Dressing: Mix equal parts of real mayonnaise with plain Greek style yogurt. Make this easy by emptying the yogurt into the bowl, then refilling its container with the low fat mayonnaise, stir this in with lemon juice (it is better than vinegar in this) and mix in the seasoning.

Let this sit to blend as you get back to the chicken.

Note: You can also use this base to make cole slaw

Cut up the chicken into ½ inch or less cubes and mix into that large bowl with the celery and fruit mix adding the bacon bits.

Re-taste the dressing to make sure the salt & pepper are balanced.

When the dressing tastes just right, pour it over the chicken/veggie/fruit mixture and stir gently until everything is thoroughly mixed. Stir in the almonds if using.

Allow the salad to chill for several hours (or even overnight).

Try it soon—you’ll love it!

Here it is served picnic style on toast points for a neighbor.