Summer Chicken Salad

I was never much of a "sandwich guy", however I have always loved chicken salad. There is something incredible about moist chicken morsels, crunchy bits of celery and apple, in a creamy delicious sauce. This is a great meal to make with a roasted chicken on a hot summer day. The protein maxing of the dish is the added bonus.

Get outside, get tan, get jacked - Ancient Proverb

My dear mother roasted a chicken for me and left it in the fridge for my meal prep - she is a rockstar. With summer FINALLY here it was time to lounge on the deck with a delicious fresh summer meal - enter my favourite chicken salad recipe. Filled with seed-oil free mayo, moist roasted chicken, and yummy bites of apple, celery, bacon, dates, and cheese.

Breakout the gingham tablecloth and spread out the lounge chairs! Enjoy!

Summer Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 roasted chicken, chopped to your liking

  • As noted above, I used a roasted chicken made at home but a store-bought rotisserie chicken would also be great (seed-oil free of course)

• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup of chopped dates (pitted)

• 1 green apple, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup grated white cheddar

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup crispy bacon, chopped

• Homemade olive oil mayo - see recipe here

• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  

• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Get messy and strip the meat off the roasted chicken. I find this is easier when the chicken is cooled. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Place remnants of the chicken in a large pot to make stock - bonus recipe below.

2. Chop celery, apple, pitted dates, and onion and place in bowl with chopped chicken.

3. Cook and chop bacon, add to bowl

4. Grate cheese, add to bowl

5. Stir in homemade olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper

6. Serve open-faced on toasted sourdough bread, butter lettuce, or on its own.

Bon Appetit

-G