The Original Chicken Salad Recipe
I’m very excited to be helping with a SURPRISE virtual Baby Shower for Rachel at Rachel Cooks! It’s been such a long time since I’ve been able to be a part of a BABY SHOWER! Yeh!
I am sure every family has their traditions when it comes to Baby Showers and how to throw them. In our family the one thing besides punch and baby bootie cupcakes (that my mom is a genius at making!) that was always on the table at a baby shower was my moms Chicken Salad, served with her delicious buttery rolls. So I just knew I had to bring my momma’s Chicken Salad recipe to Rachel’s Baby Shower!
What are some Baby Shower traditions your family has?
Another family tradition is to use the good china! Not sure why, but no paper plates where allowed. Maybe it was a subtle reminder from the older generation to the new, “Honey, this the last time your going to be eatin off the fancy stuff for awhile!” The glass punch bowl always made an appearance, with some sort of sherbert laden punch. When I was a kid, I always volunteered to be the punch bowl helper, and then I would O.D. on the sticky sweet punch! Those where the days!
So to keeping with our families tradition, I’m sharing my Mom’s Chicken Salad, but with a Michigan twist since Rachel and I are both Michiganders! I added cherries (which I normally put in my chicken salad) and apples. Not only does it taste fantastic, it makes the Chicken Salad so pretty!
Besides how delicious this salad is, the best thing is it’s better if you make it the day before, which is perfect for party planning, you can have your main dish all finished a day ahead, and have extra time to set a pretty table, and prepare silly baby shower games! Which I loose miserably at every time….for the record I have four kids! Those games are rigged!
This is what you’ll need to make our chicken salad:
Here’s how you do it!
Bake 6 chicken breasts, allow to cool, and then chopped into small pieces. 1 cup each of dried cherries, apple, celery, and onion add to chicken in a bowl and toss together.
Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, the juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more if you like), 1 tablespoon dried dill, whisk together, pour over ingredients, and fold together.
Now for my favorite part. Toast 1 cup of pecans, (walnuts, or almonds work too). Rough chop the nuts after you have toasted them, add 3/4 of the nuts to the bowl and stir them in, reserve the rest for garnish.
I served the Chicken Salad in the amber colored iris bowl my grandma gave me. It only comes out from behind my glass cupboard for special occasions!
I think Chicken Salad looks so pretty pilled high in this bowl.
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked, and shredded or cut into small bite sized chunks
- 1 cup dried cherries rough chopped
- 1 whole apple chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup toasted pecans Walnuts, or Almonds, rough chopped
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp dried dill
- 1 tsp Morton's seasoning salt
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in baking pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, cut into small pieces. Or shred with forks.
- Chop cherries, apple, onion, and celery add to bowl with chopped chicken, toss.
Dressing
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, sugar, Mortons Seasoning salt and the juice of 1 lemon.
- Pour dressing over chopped ingredients, and fold together.
- Toast 1 cup of nuts, and rough chop, add 3/4 of the nuts to the salad and stir. Reserve the remaining nuts for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
All the best to you Rachel! Can’t wait to your little guy arrives!!
Love, Sheila
For me, a major part of the problem was Will Ferrell.
what a gorgeous chicken salad! dried cherries and pecans are my favorite mix-ins
Thanks for stopping by E2g ; D Hope you had a awesome Thanksgiving weekend! Sheila
Chicken salad is a classic! I love the crunchy celery and the fruit! So yummy!!
LOVE the addition of cherries in your salad! At work we add cranberry sauce to our chicken salad sandwich, but I totally love this way better!
OH I have used cranberries in it too, when I find myself out of dried cherries. Thanks for stopping in, come back soon!!
Oh, yum. I love chicken salad … and there’s gonna be some turkey around here pretty soon too!
This sounds like the perfect chicken salad!! I love that it is connected to tradition, as well!
I love chicken salad, it always makes me think of my Grandmother. My grandparents owned a restaurant and she always made chicken salad from the leftover fried chicken. I would love your Michigan-ized chicken salad with cherries and apples!
OH hoho my my my! that is some good chicken salad right there, made with fried chicken…YUM!
If in our boxes, I ever find my Herringbone Iris pattern carnival glass bowl with the matching candlesticks, I”m sending it to you!
Melissa, You have what??!! OMG my dear…is it a family heirloom? Make some chicky salad and light some candles I’m on my way!
OK, wont lie. I think its pure genius to have any dish ready a day ahead! I would have never through of that. Not to mention, Love me some chicken salad.
I don’t know how genius I am…but Hey! I’ll take it! : D thanks for stopping in, come back soon! xoxoxo
I love that you brought one of your family’s traditional recipes to the shower, thank you so much for sharing!
I love your tradition of using china at baby showers. I’ve put grapes in chicken salad before, but I’ve never tried cherries. I’m definitely putting that on my list!
I hope you do try it! It gets raves by everyone! Thanks for stopping by ; )
Yum, this looks so delicious 🙂 I just ate lunch, but my mouth is STILL watering! This might just be on the menu for lunch tomorrow!!! Thanks!!
This recipe makes a ton, so if just making for your family and not a party, you might want to cut in half! Enjoy ; )
I adore chicken salad! And when planning a shower of any kind, I always turn toward chicken salad for easy people-pleasing food. I love this!
That’s my girl ; ) Chicken Salad can be switched up so many ways to please who ever your feeding. One of my favorites is to use curry and put grapes in it!
I love a chicken salad like this…the addition of fruit has become a favorite of mine and this looks terrific.
Thanks Barbara!
This is the perfect baby shower dish! When I was pregnant with my twins I wanted chicken salad at my shower served with croissants so this recipe brings back very special memories. 🙂
How fun is that! A girl after my own heart ; ) Thanks for stopping in!!
Chicken Salad is one of my all time favorites. It’s so perfect in every way.
My husband is with you on that one! Thanks for stopping by.
This is one delicious looking chicken salad! I love the addition of pecans and dried cherries! Thank you so much for participating in the event and I’m so sorry for the mix up yesterday.
NO worries! Thanks for including me ; ) xoxox
Thanks for sharing this family tradition with me for this amazing shower! You are all the best! I love chicken salad, this is so perfect. Thanks again xoxox
Rachel, So excited to be able to do it! Can’t wait till that little man arrives ; D hang in there girlfrand!
Loving your pretty china! This would be a fun addition to the party. 🙂
Oh, that seriously looks like the bomb.com
What a great dish to bring to the baby shower! I love the addition of cherries and dill!
I love the addition of cherries and apples — that must really make the chicken salad pop! Sounds delicious.
Oh my goodness, that sounds delish! Rachel will love it. 🙂
If we’re being honest…I still love the sticky punch 🙂 Mmm this chicken salad is a winner!!
I want to come over and eat chicken salad with you. 🙂