Family Recipes :: The Ultra-Forgiving Chicken Salad

When we were first approached to write for this series, I struggled a bit. Writing a post for the Fall Recipe Series requires, well, a recipe and frankly, I very very rarely cook with a recipe. If you’re more of a “little of this, little of that” cook like I am, then this recipe is for you. It took some thought to come up with something worthy of posting for you all, but I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I have!
Many moons ago I was hungry and craving chicken salad. I’m not sure why. Most of my experience with chicken salad, at that point, was boiled chicken which had been shredded and mixed with a gluttonous amount of mayonnaise. Yuck. I knew I could do better, and I did! After many people asked for my recipe I at least had sense enough to write down what was in it and over time I’ve managed to create an actual recipe!

I love this chicken salad so much. It’s delicious, feels decadent and indulgent, and it’s comforting. It holds up well as a side dish and can stand alone as the main course. You can eat it on a sandwich or add it to some leafy greens and make a salad. My personal favorite is to serve it nestled between a sliced croissant, because if we’re indulging in a salad made with mayo, sour cream and bacon, what’s a little flaky, buttery pastry between friends?

Another reason to love this chicken salad is because it’s so forgiving. Don’t have any apples? Throw in some grapes or dried cranberries. No rotisserie chicken? Add last night’s leftover grilled chicken breast. Don’t like walnuts? Add pecans, almonds or leave them out completely. So long as you have the base of flavors which is found in the mayo, sour cream and bacon, you really can’t go wrong!

I’ve made this chicken salad for family gatherings, baby showers, and even on a Saturday afternoon just because or at my husband’s request during a football game. It’s easy, yet seems like such a treat because it’s decadent and has lots of yummy ingredients and textures. It also has enough color to be pleasing to the eye, which is why it seems to do so well in a shower/party setting. It looks pretty on your table! Give this one a try with your family then put it into your rotation for parties and gatherings, you won’t be disappointed! You’re already several steps ahead of me because when your guests no doubt ask for the recipe, you’ll already have it!

Click on the recipe to start cooking!