Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pecan Apple Chicken Salad



Ever wonder what to do with leftover chicken? This has officially become my go to recipe for the single leftover chicken breast that always seems to be hanging around in my fridge. You see, the chicken I buy comes in a package of 3 boneless, skinless breast and I only cook for 2. Yes, I know, I could freeze the extra piece and save it for another day... but where's the fun in that?

Let me preface this recipe by saying that chicken salad usually leaves a lot to be desired in my book. Most chicken salads are mushy and squishy and all you can taste is mayo. Yuck! Not this chicken salad. This salad has a very fresh quality about it, you can actually taste the chicken, and the apples and pecans give it texture! If you think you don't like chicken salad, please do yourself a favor and make this.

This is the perfect recipe to use up leftover chicken. The apples and the pecans give the salad a great texture. I chose to use Granny Smith apples because I like the tartness, and it paired perfectly with the pecans, but I'm sure any apple and any type of nut would be great. It doesn't even have to be apple. You could throw in grapes, raisins, or cranberries instead. This is incredibly adaptable, delicious, healthy, and quick... what more could you ask for?

Recipe:
Ingredients
  • 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped*
  • 1/2 c. chopped Granny Smith Apple
  • 1/4 c. chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 T. mayonaise
  • Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Mix together.

*When I cooked the chicken originally I used Lemon & dried Thyme which complimented the chicken salad really well. Throw in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a pinch of dried thyme to add a little extra flavor!

5 comments:

  1. Mmmmm, this looks awesome! I am not usually a huge fan of chicken salad, but I think this one could totally convert me--it looks SO fresh and delicious!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. looks so good! thanks for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Walnuts and almonds would also work nicely. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Our church hostess adds halved green grapes, along with nuts & apples. Nice twist.

    ReplyDelete
  5. As a fellow 27yr old food blogger I love this take on leftovers and not just microwaving a piece of chicken, rather turning it into a new meal. I love your blog, great job and keep up the wonderful work!

    ReplyDelete