Nana Mae's Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

Delicious - goes quick! Leftovers are also good on a sandwich or used to stuff a tomato for lunch!

1.5 cups of diced cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
4 TBSP minced onion
3/4 Cup HELLMAN's Mayo (nothing else!)
1/2 diced celery
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup crushed potato chips ( I usually skip the chips and add more almonds)

Mix all ingredients together except almonds and chips.

Put into a 1 Qt. baking dish - sprinkle with almonds and chips.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with a Heap of Spring Salad

From Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen (Random House, New York, 2011. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster.( Buy this book!)

Serves 4 to 6

This dish contains all the flavor and crunch you expect from fried chicken, but with all the health benefits of using boneless, skinless chicken breast. Plus, you get bonus points for scattering the cutlets over a tender arugula salad bursting with fresh herbs and drizzled with tarragon-infused Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing.

Chicken:

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 8 thin cutlets (see Note below)
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (see Note below)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Canola oil, for sautéing

Salad:

• 6 handfuls arugula (about 6 cups), washed and drained
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Chicken: Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs along with a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs and flour in two separate bowls or plastic bags, season each with salt and pepper to taste, and stir or shake to mix.
2. Pour canola oil about 1/4-inch deep into a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet and place over medium-high heat until sizzling hot.
3. While the oil is heating, dredge or shake the chicken in the flour mixture, adding one piece at a time, to evenly coat both sides, shaking off the excess, and then in the buttermilk mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Finally, dredge in the bread crumbs to evenly coat both sides, patting to adhere.
4. Working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the skillet, place the chicken in the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a platter lined with a brown paper bag and season with additional salt and pepper. Repeat the process with the remaining cutlets, removing any brown bits with a slotted spoon and adding more oil if needed.
5. Salad: Combine the arugula, parsley, and dill in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to mix.
6. Assembly: Divide the salad mixture evenly between individual serving plates and place 1 or 2 pieces of warm chicken on top of each. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and serve warm.

Notes: Cutting Cutlets or Paillards: Place the boneless, skinless breast on a cutting board and secure it by placing your hand flat on top. Using a sharp knife, start at the thick end of the breast and slice in half horizontally (this is much easier than pounding the chicken thin). If the breast is thick enough, slice each half in half again horizontally to make cutlets about 1/4 inch thick.
Making Fresh Bread Crumbs: Fresh bread crumbs have endless uses. To make them, tear slightly stale bread into pieces. (Mostly any kind of bread will do, including white sandwich bread, French baguettes, rolls, and pita bread; the only ones I stay away from for this purpose are whole-grain or dark breads.) Place the bread pieces in the food processor or blender and pulse until you achieve the desired crumb. In the South, we also use crackers and cornbread interchangeably for fresh bread crumbs. They can be made in the same way, in a blender or food processor, but the cracker crumbs are better kept in the pantry. Always prepare more bread crumbs than you immediately need; stored in the freezer in a zip-top bag, they keep for up to 2 months.

Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

A classic of the West Coast, this dressing was created in the 1920s by San Francisco's Palace Hotel in honor of a play by the same name. With buttermilk standing in for sour cream, my "Southern" version is light, tangy, and chock-full of green herbs. It's the quintessential spring and summer dressing, and because it's all about using the freshest herbs — whether dill, chervil, sorrel, or cilantro — I almost never make it the same way twice.

• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/4 cup your favorite or homemade mayonnaise
• 1 small Kirby cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 4 or 5 fresh basil or celery leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the buttermilk, mayonnaise, cucumber, chives, tarragon, mustard, lime juice, and basil in a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, or for up to 1 week.

LYNNE'S TIPS

• Kirby cucumbers are smaller pickling cucumbers which can be particularly sweet. Substitute the long, slender English cucumber when Kirby's are scarce.
• Cut pork tenderloin the same way as the chicken for pan fried pork cutlets. With pork, dried cherries are good in the salad.
• Instead of meat, coat and fry thin-sliced yams, broccoli stems and cauliflower. Then do the salad and dressing as Sara describes.
• Minced onion is delicious in the coating. Toss the onion with the breadcrumbs.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Garden spiral pasta tossed with seasoned bite-sized chunks of chicken breast and fresh veggies


8 servings

16 ounces garden spiral pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup (total) cauliflower chopped, zucchini chopped
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 onion, finely chopped (optional)

16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces Ranch salad dressing

8-10 ounces Italian salad dressing

salt, to taste

Cut chicken breast into small, bite-sized pieces. Saute in oil until fully cooked. Drain excess liquid and season with garlic powder and pepper.

 In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, vegetables, and cooked chicken. Add Ranch and Italian salad dressings and stir to coat. Add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of water if mixture is too dry.* add salt to taste. Chill until ready to serve!

This chicken pasta salad will keep in the fridge for a few days. As it is stored, the pasta will absorb more of the moisture; just add a little water if mixture gets too dry.

Pampered Chef Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

1 can (5 ounces) chunk white chicken, well drained
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apricot jam
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
16 slices fresh, soft wheat bread

In Small Batter Bowl, combine chicken, mayonnaise, jam, raisins and onion.

Using Small Scoop, place 1 scoop (1 tablespoon) chicken mixture in center of 8 slices of bread, spreading slightly. Top with remaining bread slices. Center Small Cut-N-Seal™ over bread; cut and seal.

Yield: 8 sandwiches
Cook’s Tips: Assemble ingredients prior to recipe preparation.

Chicken and Artichoke Salad

This recipe is from Linda Larsen

It's a salad not based on mayonnaise and it's very good! It's very easy to seed cucumbers. Just peel, then cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds.

1 cup oil based Italian salad dressing
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 16 ounce package rotini pasta
2 cups roasted chicken from the deli, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

Combine salad dressing and the entire contents of the artichoke hearts. Cook rotini as directed on package. Rinse briefly with cold water, drain and add to dressing-artichoke mixture. Stir in chicken, green pepper and cucumber. Chill well.

Serves 8

Cranberry Chicken Salad for Sandwiches or side dish

" Dried cranberries add a sweet tartness to chicken and vegetable salad. Make a delightful sandwich filling, too."

4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat (rotisserie from grocery store)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery

2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
ground black pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.

Her Almond Chicken Salad Recipe

About 8 servings (sandwich or a salad) - More if used for an appetizer

1 chicken deboned (rotisserie)
1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 toasted almonds, sliced or slivered
1 cup sliced grapes, if desired

Chop chicken lightly in food processor or chop half with a knife and half with a food processor - very quick or you will end up with mush.
Fold in celery, cranberries and almonds

Whip the cream and then slowly blend in the mayo and pepper. Toss chicken mixture with dressing, a little at a time, use only enough to hold it together. Adjust seasoning... add salt if necessary.



Dressing - make and set aside

• 1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped softly
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Just scoop the portion size you want onto a little lettuce arranged neatly on a plate or make a sandwich.

To use as an appetizer - fill cream puffs, cherry tomatoes, or spread on crackers.

Grape Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups red grapes, sliced in half
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green onions
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 pg (2 oz) slivered almonds

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp paprika

After you make the dressing, taste it to see if it needs more salt. When all is good, combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the dressing. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. This salad tastes great by itself, or you can put it on a crescent roll and make a sandwich out of it. Enjoy.

Ellie's All Day Breakfast Salad

* 2 cups spinach leaves, cleaned
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Dressing, recipe follows
* 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
* 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
* 2 slices Canadian bacon, cooked in a grill pan and sliced into ribbons
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 1 whole-wheat pita, toasted and cut into quarters

Directions

Place spinach in a bowl. Add the Balsamic Dressing and the tomatoes and toss. Top with the egg, canadian bacon and parsley leaves. Serve with the pita pieces.

Balsamic Dressing:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Paula Deen Basil Lemon Chicken Salad

* 4 cups diced cooked chicken (buy one at the deli)
* 1 rib minced celery
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, basil and almonds. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to chicken mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill.