By Lidey Heuck

This simple chicken salad makes great use of leftover chicken, though you can certainly use a rotisserie chicken or roast or boil chicken breasts for this recipe. The recipe calls for classic crunchy mix-ins such as grapes, celery and pecans, but feel free to make it your own: Use a diced tart apple in place of the grapes, or toss in a handful of dried cranberries.

Note: I made this with freshly roasted chicken breasts, pecans, celery, red onions and grapes. If it’s going to stay over a day or two for lunches, I would suggest using the dried cranberries instead of the grapes.

To roast skin on, bone in, split chicken breasts: rinse and dry chicken. Place in a baking dish, rub with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast uncovered at 300* for about an hour until juices run clear. Cool before dicing.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken breast
• ½ cup finely chopped celery (about 1 large stalk)
• ½ cup seedless grapes, quartered
• ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped (see Tip)
• ¼ cup minced red onion (about ¼ small onion)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• Toasted bread, lettuce cups or crackers, for serving
• PREPARATION
• Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; whisk until smooth. Add the chicken, celery, grapes, pecans, onion and parsley and mix well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. (May not need salt and pepper. Taste.)
• Step 2: Serve on toasted bread or lettuce cups, or with crackers. Chicken salad will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

TIP

• Toast pecans on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. (This might be too hot and too long.)