Like most people who work in an office, I seem to eat mostly Lean Cuisines for lunch. And also like most people I hate them! Yet I continue to eat them because they are cheap and convenient. Well one week I just had enough and  the idea of chicken salad popped into my head. So I decided to whip up a batch one Sunday night to enjoy throughout the week.

Unlike most people in the south, I didn’t grow up eating chicken salad that had pickles in it. My mom always made it with celery, nuts and grapes and it now is my favorite way to have it. Don’t get me wrong I love most any kind of chicken salad but like most things, mom’s is just best. Another thing mom always did with her chicken salad that I like is that she doesn’t finely shred the chicken. Some chicken salads are like a smooth puree almost but mom’s was more chunky. Something about food processor chicken puree screams nursing home. I digress…

I do like to play around with recipes and mom’s chicken salad is no different. Mom traditionally uses pecans but I’ve used almonds, walnuts, and even macadamia nuts. You also can swap out the grapes for dried cranberries or apricots. I have also started adding in a little herb de provence or some lemon juice and some minced tarragon. Both of which and a little je ne sais quois – hence the fancy chicken salad. 😉

Fancy Chicken Salad

Ingredients

– 1 lb chicken breasts, cook and shredded into bite size pieces
– 3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
– 2-3 cups of grapes, halved
– 1 cup of nuts, chopped (pecans preferred)
– mayonnaise
– lemon juice
– herb de Provence
– fresh tarragon, minced
– salt and pepper

Directions

In a large bowl combine the chicken, grapes, celery, and nuts. Add more of any of the ingredients until the ratio is to your liking (I’m a big grape fan so I always end up adding extra).

In a separate smaller bowl combine the mayonnaise (about 3/4 cup) and the lemon juice (a few tablespoons) until you have a good dressing constancy. Add more of either ingredient until you get a desired consistency. Stir in your spices and mix well. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir until combined. Add more dressing if the salad is too dry.

Enjoy in a flaky croissant, over a bed of lettuce or on some crackers if that’s how you roll.

Much Love,
M