My son's health is NOT good. This ankylosing spondylitis has taken his eyesight in his right eye and in July, for the 4th, he was in the hospital. Inflammation has moved into his colon. SO...trying to find things he can eat or wants to eat has been an adventure. He can't eat much beef...it doesn't digest well. One of his requests was for chicken salad spread. Well those little containers you buy are expensive, so I resurrected Mom's Chicken Salad recipe. Been making it about once a week since the end of July and SO glad I did. I forgot how good it is.
Now my dad was a meat and potatoes, beans and cornbread kind of guy. He always had brown beans with every meal even spaghetti! Mom would make chicken salad as a revolt on occasion. She would use left over chicken sometimes, but we RARELY had any of her chicken left over after a meal. So when she got a wild hair for chicken salad, she would just make it from scratch.When she used leftover or can chicken it was NEVER as good as when she cooked the chicken specifically for her chicken salad. If she got a good deal on a whole chicken she would use that. I know. I used to be the one to clean the chicken meat off the bones, give the chicken skin to the animals, etc. for her to make it.
Today I use her recipe and just chicken breasts. 2 chicken breast makes enough for a week for two of us. I mentioned eating this chicken salad on Ritz crackers as, "Ain't nothin better" and was asked for the recipe. Was going to wait until next week, because I really don't measure when I make this salad and thought I'd be more precise...but what the heck... just wing it. It's all according to personal taste anyway. Just juggle the ingredients to suit you.
Mom's Chicken Salad Recipe with my chicken
2 chicken breasts
salt to taste
pepper to taste
garlic powder - a dash
poultry seasoning 1/4 tsp. or just a big dash (if you don't have this just a dash of sage and thyme will work)
salad cubes pickles- 2 big heaping tablespoons or to taste
mayonnaise - Depends on how much you like mayo. I like mine creamy. I start with a couple of big heaping tablespoons and then if it doesn't look like what I think it should, I add more.
chopped celery- about a stalk chopped fine. This and the salad cubes gives it just the right crunch.
lemon juice- About a tablespoon at least for 2 chicken breasts. THIS is the key to this recipe. Not only does it give it flavor but preserves it too.
Take 2 chicken breast, put in pot, cover with cold water. Add the onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Turn down the stove and let it slow simmer for about 40 or 45 minutes. Turn it off and let it cool until you can handle it.
Strain the broth. You can save the chicken stock in a jar in the fridge. Makes great stock for gravy or a soup base. Put the strained onion bits into your mixing bowl to go into the salad.
Take the chicken breasts and put them on a cutting board. Shred it with a knife and fork, like you would pulled pork and then I chop it up even more fine with a knife. Add it to the onion in the bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Store in a covered container in the fridge. It's best the next day but can be eaten immediately. It lasts 3 or 4 days in the fridge. Then about every Monday I make another batch. If you are single, I'd cook just one chicken breast....2 chicken breasts makes a lot of chicken salad. I
Modify it the way you want. I guarantee, if you take the time to make this, you will not buy it in those expensive containers anymore. I love it with Ritz crackers.
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