Tasty Thursday - Camelia Cottage Chicken Salad

Finally things are back to normal enough for me to start my Tasty Thursday recipes going again.


By the way, we had a pretty good report at my dad's kidney specialist yesterday. He still has a bit of infection, but his kidney function seems to have improved some, so no mention of dialysis - praise the Lord!


So, back to food! This is one of my all time favorite dishes in the world! Seriously! I just love it, and try to always make some for a picnic, but it's also really great for a shower, or ladies luncheon. The recipe is mine, made up from bits and pieces I've gotten from other people and cookbooks. Years ago a lady I worked with told me about the secret ingredient, and truly, it does make all the difference in the world! It adds the moisture of mayo, but without the greasiness. Here's the recipe for Camellia Cottage Chicken Salad:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Place chicken, broth and seasonings into a pot and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken is done, drain and cool. I cook the chicken in broth because boneless skinless breasts sometimes lack flavor of bone-in pieces, and the broth makes it more flavorful!

When chicken is cool, pull or cut into chunks and place in a food processor and pulse to chop well, but not too fine. Move chicken to a large bowl.

Add:
1/2 to 2/3 cup mayo

1/2 to 2/3 cup cool whip - YES! I said cool whip!

1/2 to 2/3 cup FINELY chopped (1/4 inch or smaller) celery - to taste

2-3 tablespoons grated, minced or FINELY chopped onion

salt and black pepper - to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried tarragon - to taste (optional if you don't like tarragon)

Mix all ingredients well, taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.

Add:

1 to 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in half.

Optional: 1/2 cup (or more) lightly roasted nuts such as pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped.

Stir well.

Please note! If you like a salad with more taste of mayo, you can leave out the cool whip and add more mayo, but the cool whip adds moisture without weighing down the salad with too much mayo - it is NOT sweet!

This is great served on a plate, or on croissants for a luncheon or shower.

I sure hope you'll try this, and that you love it as much as I do! Let me know if you do try it, I love hearing how you like my recipes! Blessings to all, Becky