Sara’s Chicken Salad

This summer largely felt like a busy blur; one exception being a fabulously relaxing vacation we took with friends in Maine. During this trip my friend Anne made an amazing chicken salad; it’s a family recipe that she approved of my sharing here.

Anne provided me with the ingredient list and instructions, and I figured out the specific measurements below. Depending on how comfortable you are in the kitchen, you can continue to improv, but trust me, you probably won’t want to. I have made this chicken salad several times since returning from that vacation (including at Laurel's nature fairy party); I'm officially addicted.

Sara’s Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken breast

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp onion salt (or if you can’t find onion salt, use ½ tsp onion powder + ½ tsp salt)

½ package bacon, fried, drained on paper towels, and chopped into chunks

1 cup halved red grapes

White wine vinegar (optional)

Black peppercorn and bay leaf (optional)

Process:

1. Mix mayonnaise the day before serving (crucial to taste!) with lemon pepper and onion salt. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Bring large pot of water to boil (add a splash of vinegar and some black peppercorns and a bay leaf if you wish). Add chicken, reduce heat, and bring water to a simmer. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, but do not overcook.

3. Shred chicken roughly with your fingers and stir with mayonnaise mixture. Add bacon and sliced red grapes.

CLICK HERE for a printable PDF of this recipe.