Y’all, I’ve been getting really lazy with my meal prep game the last couple of weeks. Work travel 2-4 days a week has been wearing on me, and it’s easier to just go for a couple of chicken sausages and some frozen sides than make anything from scratch. When I just can’t do frozen food anymore, I’ve been looking to this chicken salad base, to which you can add just about any mix-in to come up with fresh flavors.
THE BASE
- 2 cups chopped chicken (I use rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or chicken boiled in chicken stock)
- 1/2 cup plain, lowfat greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup diced red onion (let soak for 5 min in ice water to take away the bite)
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or slivered almonds
- 1 T lemon juice (or granulated True Lemon)
- Black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL MIX-INS
New England Chicken Salad:
Add 1/2 cup diced grapes and 1/2 cup diced apples
Thanksgiving Salad:
Swap chicken for leftover turkey. Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 T paprika
Thai Chicken Salad:
Swap pecans for chopped peanuts and True Lime for lemon. Add 2T PB2 + water and 1/2 cup shredded carrots. Optional: eat over cabbage slaw.
Buffalo Chicken Salad:
Skip lemon and pecan. Add in 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot + 1/4 ranch seasoning packet + 1/2 cup chopped carrots.
How do you mix up your chicken salad?