Fast & Fantastic Chicken Salad


This is a family recipe that’s great to use up your left over chicken. We will purposely cook a couple extra pieces of chicken for a dinner earlier in the week so we will already have my chicken ready to make this Fast & Fantastic Chicken Salad! Or some days, if you are like us – it is 4pm and we are at the store wondering what to make for dinner, we will just pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken – it also makes a delicious chicken salad.  For this recipe, we had a couple extra leftover chicken breasts from a dinner the night before.  To reheat the leftover chicken, so it is not dry and rubbery, we just cover it in tinfoil, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth, and stick it in the oven on low (around 200 degrees) for about 8-10 minutes. Warming the chicken makes it a lot easier to shred and will soak up the sauce as it cools. And an easy way to shred the chicken, especially for Little Chefs, once you take it out of the oven, still warm, use an Electric Hand Mixer on low. You can also just dice the chicken, if you prefer for your Chicken Salad.

 girlshreddingchicken

Then, to make the Chicken Salad it is as easy as cutting up, adding in, and gently mix all the remaining ingredients together!! We like to add in the sauce ingredients at the very end to see if we need to add a bit more if it is too dry.

boychickensalad  boymixingchickensalad

And you might be able to relate to my celery dilemma  – We would buy celery for a recipe, use a couple of stalks and stick it back in the fridge. Then when we go to use it again, it is limp and soft. A tip we learned to keep our celery fresh and crisp for weeks – cover completely in tinfoil before sticking it back in the fridge – it will be sure to stay fresh for your next recipe!

celerycrisp

This is one of my Little Chefs, and Dad Little Chefs FAVORITE dinners.  And it always seems to be a big hit anytime other try this recipe!!  No rolls on hand, make up some of our Homemade Rolls to go with this Fast & Fantastic Chicken Salad.  And another great recipe to use your leftover chicken is our Quick Chicken Divan.

chickensaladblogpic

Fast & Fantastic Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
  • 1 cup diced granny smith apple
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced onion
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup bottled coleslaw dressing
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared chicken, apples, celery, water chestnuts, and minced onion. Stir until combined.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, coleslaw dressing, salt and pepper.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix gently until combined.
  4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
https://www.fivelittlechefs.com/recipe/poultry/chicken-salad.html


author-avatar

I am a mom to Five Little Chefs who love to cook and create anything with their hands. Watching over 10 additional hands keeps me busy but is so much fun! We laugh and cry everyday, but then want to do it again the next day. That is how we know we are enjoying life!

7 Replies to "Fast & Fantastic Chicken Salad"

  • comment-avatar
    jennp6 April 24, 2013 (12:36 pm)

    I like the addition of apple, definitely will have to try this!

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•`¤… Jennifer
    Jenn’s Random Scraps

  • comment-avatar
    Susan Dee April 25, 2013 (9:14 pm)

    This sounds delightful. I don’t eat chicken salad often or even find any that look that great, but this sounds and looks delish. Thank you for sharing. Pinned.
    Consider yourself hugged,
    http://simpleesue.com/try-one-new-recipe-a-week-butterscotch-apple-fluff/

    • comment-avatar
      Jenny April 25, 2013 (9:27 pm)

      Thank you so much!! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

  • comment-avatar
    Diane (@SimpleLivingEat) April 26, 2013 (5:59 am)

    I love your ingredients very different. I’m pinning this.

  • comment-avatar
    Merry April 29, 2013 (8:27 am)

    Yum! I like recipes that repurpose leftovers; my family’s more likely to eat without complaint when the meal’s not an exact repeat.

  • comment-avatar
    Dana Rodriguez April 29, 2013 (11:21 am)

    I am def trying this.I have tried to mmake chicken salad before and it didn’t turn out very well

  • comment-avatar
    Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen May 8, 2013 (8:13 am)

    I always do apple in my chicken salad, but I’ve never tried water chestnuts! I bet it adds some extra crunch…

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