Recipe: Parmesan Pecan Chicken Salad

This week in my Instagram stories I’ve been sharing what I’m cooking for dinner in case you’re in a rut or your brain is too tired to meal plan during this back-to-school season. I have the stories saved to my food highlight if you missed them or need more inspo.

Here’s a recipe you can make to serve immediately or make ahead to have ready for lunch. I love making different chicken salad combinations since it’s such an easy way to change up an easy recipe. I boil frozen chicken, but you could also use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Serve it on bread or as a dip with crackers.

🍗Parmesan Pecan Chicken Salad

What you’ll need:

・2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (cooled to at least room temp)

・1/4 cup of mayo

・1/4 cup of sour cream

・1 tsp of Lawry’s garlic salt with parsley

・1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

・1/4 cup of chopped pecans

・Optional: chopped apples (I left them out this time, but sometimes I throw them into this recipe for some added “brightness” and nutrition.)

Let’s make it:

1. Combine the mayo, sour cream, and garlic salt.

2. Stir the chicken in with the mayo mixture.

3. Stir in the parmesan and pecans (and apples if using).

4. Serve immediately or let it sit in the fridge and serve later.

Just pretend my closeup shots of the chicken salad are in focus. We were in a hurry when I took these pictures.🤪

Recipe: Sassy Stanton Chicken Salad

 🥓Sassy Stanton Chicken Salad

We have a chain restaurant in our town that specializes in chicken salad. I had one of their varieties and knew I had to figure out how to recreate it. Here’s my take on their “sassy” chicken salad.

What you’ll need:

•1.25 lb of chicken (weight before cooking)

•5 tbsp real bacon bits (in the salad topping section of your store)

•1/2 of a 1 oz. packet of Hidden Valley Ranch DIP mix (will use 0.5 oz)

•1/2 cup mayo

•1/2 cup sour cream

•1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

•1 to 2 tbsp milk

•Bread or crackers

I like Canyon Bakery Gluten Free Country White Bread

Let’s make it:

1. Boil and then shred cooled chicken in a food processor. You could also use rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or canned chicken if you’re in a hurry.

2. Mix mayo, sour cream, and dip mix. Add milk a little at a time to get desired consistency.

3. Mix in the bacon bits and cheese.

4. Then mix in the chicken.

Let this sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours to give the flavor time to develop! Make this on Sunday night to have lunches ready to go for a few days. Serve with your favorite bread, croissant, or crackers!

Hope this chicken salad makes your taste buds feel sassy! 😋

In the next recipe (spoiler: pasta salad), I’ll show you how to use the other half of the ranch dip packet!

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Avocado Chicken Salad

• Boil 2 pounds of chicken.
• I used boneless, skinless chicken.
• I like to sometimes use chicken on the bone, because it adds another layer of flavor and makes great chicken broth.
• What's important is that you have chicken meat equal to 2 pounds (pre-cooking) once the bones, fat, etc. are removed.
• Season while the chicken is cooking.
• I mix it up but usually use Cavender's, dill weed, rosemary, Italian seasoning, coriander, caraway, garlic powder, salt.
• Let the chicken cool, and trim off any fat, skin, or bones.
• Shred the chicken by hand or in a food processor.
• In a separate bowl, mash 2 medium avocados.
• Add salt and a splash of lemon and/or lime juice.
• Stir the chicken and avocado together.
• Add mayonnaise 1 tablespoon at a time until the chicken salad is as creamy as you like.
• Optional: For an extra kick, add crushed red pepper flakes and a spoonful or two of jalapeño cranberry relish.
• Store in the fridge and eat within 24 hours.  It's best when it has had a couple hours to sit so the chicken soaks up the flavor.  You'll want to eat it within 24 hours or so, because the avocado will start to brown.

Looking for something to serve for brunch or a baby/wedding shower?  This is perfect, because it has a mild flavor.  You can leave out the red pepper or anything spicy to accommodate your guests.  Throw it on mini croissants, and it instantly becomes fancy! :)

Or just make it to serve your family for a couple lunches and dinners! Yay leftovers (easy meal prep!)!!!

Chipotle Cranberry Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is one of my favorite things to make!  I make a big batch so we have lunch for a few days.  I wasn't a huge fan of chicken salad until I whipped this up (I avoid celery at all costs), and now I can't get enough!  I could grab a fork and just eat it out of the bowl.  I like it on just about any type of bread.  Just to be safe, you may want to make this when you will have lots of people will be around...just so you don't consume it all by yourself in one sitting!

Chipotle Cranberry Chicken Salad

-1.5 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breast

-1 cup almonds

-1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

-1/4 cup mayo

-1/2 cup sour cream

-1/4 cup chipotle mayo (I use Kraft) *see note

1)Boil the chicken.  Be sure to season it while it's boiling.  It will make the salad so much more savory.  I like to season it with coriander, dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, and marjoram, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning.

2)While the chicken cooks, throw your almonds and craisins in a food processor to chop them into smaller pieces.  Set aside.

3) Put the cooked chicken in the food processor and pulse a few times to shred the chicken.  You can shred it by hand if you're not lazy like me.  :)

4) Combine the chicken, almonds, craisins, mayo, sour cream, and chipotle mayo.

**Note: If you are not able to find chipotle mayo, you can just use plain mayo for the entire recipe.  It will still be good!  If you want the chipotle taste (which really sets it apart), you can blend 1/4 cup of mayo with chipotle peppers in a food processor.  You can buy the chipotle peppers in a jar or can.  Another option is to mix the mayo with a tablespoon or two of the juice in the jar/can.

5) Set in the fridge for a few hours to chill and for flavors to combine.

6) Grab a fork and eat it straight from the bowl.  Spread on bread and share with friends.

I strain the water the chicken was cooked in and save it for broth for soup or to use in other recipes.  Winning!