When my grandkids go back to college, I’ll be back to cooking for two. not easy I often misjudge the serving size and usually have food left over. This week there was leftover chicken. Originally, I baked the chicken in the oven with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese topping. What could you do with the two remaining chicken breasts?
I decided to make chicken salad. The crumb topping was easy to remove and I cut into the chicken. But white chicken needs color, so I added green celery, red onion, dried cranberries, and unpeeled green pears. Thanks to the onion, the salad had some “zing”. Thanks to the pears and dried cranberries, the salad had some sweetness to it.
Although I love mayonnaise, I wanted a thinner dressing for the salad. When I looked in the fridge I found some salad dressing and it turned out to be perfect. You can make this salad with turkey instead of chicken. If you don’t have chicken on hand, cooked chicken strips are available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Dried apricots or peaches, cut into thin strips, can be substituted for the blueberries. Add some crackers or breadsticks and you have a satisfying lunch. With warm bread and dessert, this crunchy salad becomes dinner.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken (grilled, roasted, or poached), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large celery rib, sliced thin
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 fresh pears, unpeeled and sliced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste (Skip if you are watching your salt intake).
1 bag of washed baby spinach (or chopped lettuce)
16-ounce bottle of salad dressing, such as Marzetti
12-ounce package chow mein noodles
Combine chicken, celery, red onion, pears, and cranberries in a large bowl. Spice with salt and pepper. Pile some baby spinach on each plate. Place the chicken salad in the center of each plate. Drizzle with salad dressing and garnish generously with chow mein noodles. Make four servings.
Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson