Salad On Tuesday: Week 4 {Chicken Salad Deluxe}

This week I am sharing one of my "go-to" salad recipes.  

I make this for our Christmas buffet every year.  Sometimes it shows up along with the ham on Resurrection Day.  

It is a definite for baby or bridal showers where I usually serve it in phyllo cups with a sprig of thyme or a slice of fresh fruit on the top.    

It travels well, so I sometimes take it to a new mother or to someone who is sick.  

If you come to my house for lunch, you just might be eating this salad on a croissant.

And of course, I serve it to my own family throughout the year.

I like that chicken salad can be made ahead.  I like that it can have different add-ins to fit the season.  I like that it is simple to make.  And I really like that everyone in my family loves it!  (Don't you love it when everyone at the dinner table is happy?)   

This is one of those dishes that I kind of make as I go, so I do not have an exact recipe to share. But I'll do my best to tell you what I do...okay?  (If you have any questions, ask away in the comments section!)  

Here goes...

Ingredients: 5 or 6 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed Miracle Whip (You can use mayonnaise if you prefer, but I'm a Miracle Whip girl!) 2 or 3 ribs of celery, chopped 1 cup red grapes, halved 1 15-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained 1/2 cup pecans  lots of dried thyme  (1 tablespoon?  more?) salt and pepper, to taste Directions: In a large bowl, toss together chicken, celery, grapes, and pecans*.   Add salad dressing or mayonnaise and stir till moist.  This is where you want to err on the side of too much.  Dry chicken salad just isn't cool.  (Ask me how I know**.)   Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust.  Add more thyme (probably).   Fold in mandarin oranges.  I do this last because mandarin oranges will break down with too much handling.  Although that's not the end of the world either.   Chill for several hours so that the flavors have a chance to meld.   * I prefer pecans that have been toasted for 4-5 minutes at 350°.  But if I'm in a hurry (or just lazy), I toss them in as they are. You can use pecan halves or wholes or pieces.  I kind of like mine in bigger pieces, so I chop them coarsely. ** The last time I took chicken salad to an event, I had had an extremely busy day, and I did not double check to see if it was moist enough.  I had made up a bunch of sandwiches on small biscuits and they. were. dry.  They didn't hold together like they were supposed to.  And guess who got choked trying to eat one while yakking away carrying on a conversation?  You guessed.

The sort-of-recipe above is my family's favorite chicken salad variation.  But when I serve this to my extended family at holiday meals, I make a more basic version, omitting the fruit and nuts.  

In the fall, I sometimes substitute dried cranberries and chopped unpeeled apple for the grapes and mandarin oranges.  

I have also made it with dried blueberries and dried cranberries, and used walnuts instead of pecans.  

Do you have a "go-to" salad recipe?