Tricks for awesome chicken salad?

[Anonymous]

I've been asked to bring chicken salad to a picnic tomorrow. I confess that whenever I've made it before, it's been pretty pedestrian.

Got any tips for taking it up a notch?

[Anonymous]

Good chicken - I prefer shredded to diced. Lots of celery, green onions, craisins, mayo, salt and pepper, a dash of curry powder, and a tiny bit of lemon juice.

[Anonymous]

The following recipe sounds really good and has great reviews. I love adding a bit of dijon.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-salad-recipe/index.html

[Anonymous]

America's Test Kitchen just did a segment on chicken salad! They mentioned poaching the chicken starting with cold water - definitely google it. It was waldorf salad and looked really, really good.

I don't like curry powder in my chicken salad (my mom always used to add it). Ina Garten also has great recipes that use roast chicken breasts.

I think the secret is to avoid dried out rubbery chicken. And too much mayo!

[Anonymous]

2nd the recommendation for roasting the chicken.

I add rosemary and caramelized onions to mine.

[Anonymous]

Go to Costco. Purchase their delicious chicken salad. Arrange it over a bed of leaf spinach, and put some rolls ont the side

[Anonymous]

agree with an earlier poster that shredded is much better than diced. Add lots of pepper OP and I happen to hate mayo and so do a lot of other people -- so I use a light vinagrette dressing ...it's more asian...has nuts and shredded carrots and celery and tastes great...also lasts out in the sun longer than ones made w/ mayo

[Anonymous]

double the dressing and mix everything right before you service it.

http://www.wholeliving.com/133290/healthy-chicken-salad

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (2 small whole breasts) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
1 Granny Smith apple
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup finely diced fennel
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in half
6 slices pumpernickel bread
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
Olive-oil cooking spray
Directions
Combine salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with some of the salt mixture; place in saute pan. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes (flip halfway through cooking time). Remove from pan; set aside.

In a bowl, combine yogurt, mustard, chives, tarragon, and remaining salt mixture. Core the apple, and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a medium bowl with lemon juice, and toss to combine. Add fennel, celery, and grapes. Cut reserved chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to salad with yogurt dressing; stir to combine. Serve on pumpernickel bread, open-faced, with watercress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to Costco. Purchase their delicious chicken salad. Arrange it over a bed of leaf spinach, and put some rolls ont the side

Lol+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to Costco. Purchase their delicious chicken salad. Arrange it over a bed of leaf spinach, and put some rolls ont the side

Really? Knowing I'm a big chicken salad fan, a friend surprised me with a huge container of Costco chicken salad the other day. I hated it, and had to throw most of it away.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I wouldn't get Costco food for a picnic unless I was really pressed for time (like I had a newborn or something). The whole point of bringing something to share is usually to bring something cool and homemade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:agree with an earlier poster that shredded is much better than diced. Add lots of pepper OP and I happen to hate mayo and so do a lot of other people -- so I use a light vinagrette dressing ...it's more asian...has nuts and shredded carrots and celery and tastes great...also lasts out in the sun longer than ones made w/ mayo

I'm intrigued... tell me more! What's in your vinaigrette? (I also dislike mayo, so usually use sour cream and yogurt.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to Costco. Purchase their delicious chicken salad. Arrange it over a bed of leaf spinach, and put some rolls ont the side

Lol+1

+2
I sometimes doctor it up with grapes and pecans.

[Anonymous]

not a fan of their chicken salad (and I'm a big Costco fan).
I don't like a lot of mayo - I actually like a mix of mayo and something else (sour cream or yogurt with some lemon juice).

I also like pickles in mine crunchy sweet pickles. yum!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:double the dressing and mix everything right before you service it.

http://www.wholeliving.com/133290/healthy-chicken-salad

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (2 small whole breasts) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
1 Granny Smith apple
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup finely diced fennel
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in half
6 slices pumpernickel bread
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
Olive-oil cooking spray
Directions
Combine salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with some of the salt mixture; place in saute pan. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes (flip halfway through cooking time). Remove from pan; set aside.

In a bowl, combine yogurt, mustard, chives, tarragon, and remaining salt mixture. Core the apple, and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a medium bowl with lemon juice, and toss to combine. Add fennel, celery, and grapes. Cut reserved chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to salad with yogurt dressing; stir to combine. Serve on pumpernickel bread, open-faced, with watercress.

Cosco recipe sounds better