Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad
When throwing a birthday party for someone special, consider old-fashioned chicken salad as a good party snack. This recipe is good for quite a big batch, making it ideal for larger celebrations. You can make it several days in advance, as the flavor will be enhanced by allowing it to rest at least overnight. This is also a useful recipe for after your barbecues when you have left-over chicken. Delicious and adaptable, chicken salad is sure to please any crowd.
3 chicken leg quarters
2 stalks of celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup of seedless grapes, cut into halves
2 green onions, minced
1 cup of mayonnaise (Miracle Whip can be substituted)
2 tablespoons of coleslaw dressing
1 teaspoon of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Begin by skinning and trimming all the fat from the leg quarters. You can substitute three chicken breasts if you prefer white meat. Rub the chicken down with butter and then dust with salt and pepper. Place in a greased pan, cover with foil, and bake for about 45 minutes. Drain any remaining fat out of the pan and allow it to cool.
In a large bowl, shred the chicken. Be very careful to remove all bones and gristle. Mix in the rest of the ingredients slowly. The chicken will absorb the mayonnaise, so don't be afraid to add another dollop or two if it looks dry.
At this point, you have two options. You can decide to serve the salad as-is on buns or wrapped in fresh tortillas, or you can toss it in the food processor and make a smooth chicken spread. The chicken spread tastes great on bread or with a selection of crackers.
Don't be afraid to experiment! Some variations of this recipe that you might want to try are:
Add half a cup of your favorite shredded cheese to the mix. American, cheddar, and colby-jack are all excellent choices.
For a zestier chicken salad, mix in a generous splash of hot sauce or some spicy brown mustard. Add them sparingly!
For a low-fat option, use white meat chicken and light mayonnaise (or light Miracle Whip).
No comments:
Post a Comment