Chicken Salad

If you are looking for a nice, light meal on a hot day, or something that is easy to take along on a picnic, you really can't go wrong with chicken salad. Not only is it easy to make and have a broad appeal, chicken salad is also exceptionally easy to modify and put your own unique twist onto. To make your own, all you need to do is follow this chicken salad recipe, and do a bit of experimenting along the way.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 5 cups chopped (or pulled) cooked chicken (you can also use the equivalent of canned meat as well)
• Salt to taste
• 2-1/2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1-1/4 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing (your choice)

Recipe:

1. Prepare chicken. The first step in making chicken salad is to actually prepare the chicken. You can do this in any manner that you prefer, even utilizing precooked, canned chicken if you wish. Just remember that whatever method of preparation that you use (grilling, roasting, baking, boiling, etc.) will have an impact on the end result of the chicken salad.
2. Mix ingredients. While you are preparing the chicken, or after you have opened and drained the canned chicken, you can begin mixing the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl add the different ingredients (minus the chicken at this time) and mix them all together. Using a large rubber or silicone spatula, begin mixing the various ingredients together.
3. Add chicken. When the chicken is finished cooking, dice it, slice it, pull it, or shred it according to your preference. Use only 5 cups of the meat for your salad, and then add it to the other ingredients. Again, using the same large spatula, stir everything together until it is completely mixed together.
4. Chill and serve. Cover the mixing bowl, and then place it into the refrigerator to chill. Leave the chicken salad in the refrigerator at least on hour prior to serving, and then remove it to dish up. Place the salad mixture on your favorite type of bread, and enjoy. A great bread idea would be to use some croissants that have been sliced in half lengthwise.

When you make this recipe, keep a few things in mind. The first is that this recipe has been designed to provide you with five decent sized servings. If you need more (or less) then you will need to adjust the recipe accordingly. In addition, it is also fairly easy to modify the recipe to your particular tastes. For example, if you would like it with a little bit of cheese, then simply add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheese (your preference on the cheese). Some other popular additions are things like grapes and blanched or roasted almonds. Typically you will slice the grapes, and the almonds will be slivered before adding them (singly about 1-1/4 cups, or 3/4 cups if you are adding both).