Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my favorite things to make. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It's light, tasty, simple, and quick.

2. I usually have most (if not all) of the ingredients in my house already.

3. It can be made in advance and enjoyed later. (make it on Sunday to pack in your lunch for the week, make it one evening and pull it out the next night for dinner, make it on Friday for your lunches all weekend, etc!)

4. It's versatile
     *great for lunch or dinner
     *put it on bread to make a sandwich, serve with 
      crackers, on a tortilla, or with lettuce cups for a low 
      carb option!
     *perfect to feed your family or for entertaining- (think bridal/baby showers, parties, pool days, etc.)


5. The homemade version is so much better than store-bought. (Trust me!! Anytime we try to buy chicken salad at a deli or grocery store, my husband is so disappointed since he's had the real deal!) 

6. Did I mention it's easy? 

Here's what you'll need:

For real... this is it!

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
3 stalks of celery (this is the one ingredient I don't usually have on hand)
1/2 onion (I use the sweet yellow kind)
15-20 grapes
1 cup Miracle Whip (I use the "light" version)
Salt & Pepper to taste



Directions:

1. Bring water in a medium sized pot to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add chicken breasts to water. Let chicken breasts simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

3. While chicken is cooking, dice celery and onion. Set aside.

4. Remove chicken from heat. Drain, let cool.

5. Once cool enough to handle, use a food processor or fork to shred chicken in a large bowl. 

6. Add celery/onion mixture, salt & pepper, and Miracle Whip to chicken. Stir until all ingredients are combined. 

I usually do a little "taste test" here. Add a bit more salt/pepper if needed or a little Miracle Whip if it seems too dry.

7. Slice grapes in half, add to mixture, stir well.

8. Store in refrigerator in airtight container until ready to serve. 

Everyone uses paper plates sometimes, right?!?! :) 

Again, this recipe is PERFECT for so many situations. This time, I made it the night before a big work meeting... I knew that when I got home from work the next day, I wouldn't want to cook or worry about dinner. We had chicken salad sandwiches and I had enough left over to take a wrap for my lunch the next day! 

-Alison