Fried Chicken Salad

The first time I had fried chicken salad was at a great restaurant in Dallas called Hattie's over in the Bishop Arts area in Oak Cliff.  Wow!  I never really thought about that for a salad but it's pretty good!  Basically it's chicken nugget/tenders that you make up pretty quick and add them to your salad.

I made some Creamy Italian Dressing to go with the salad but you could do Ranch (recipe is with link to Creamy Italian), Honey Mustard (one of my favs and recipe is on link also) or your favorite. There are some really good salad dressing on here you can click on the link to Creamy Italian Dressing or on the side of the blog there is a link for salad dressings.  It takes 5 minutes to make and it's totally worth making it yourself!

If I had planned ahead I would have soaked the chicken in some buttermilk.  I know you are like what?  It really makes the chicken so tender and juicy!  If you are able to marinate it in buttermilk you can omit the egg and milk and just use the buttermilk in place of that.  That buttermilk has away of helping the flour cling to the chicken and it also gives it a beautiful color!

I plan to post regular fried chicken in the next few days.  For that I will soak it in buttermilk over night or for at least 6 hours.  It gives it a beautiful mahogany color and it's so juicy and good!

I just add about and inch of oil to the pan.  I had wasting oil and honestly that is all it needs! 

 

Combine flour, pepper and Lawry's Garlic Salt (with green lid)

dredge chicken pieces in flour

then coat with milk and egg mixture

then coat again in flour mixture

In a skillet heat oil to medium/ high heat then add chicken, if you add chicken to oil before it's hot the chicken will absorb oil and be soggy.

cook until chicken is browned on both sides about 10 to 15 minutes

This is just using 1 chicken breast!  It's amazing how many nuggets you can get from one chicken breast!

Fried Chicken Salad

1 to 2 chicken breast (is enough  for 4 to 6 people)

2 cups flour

¼ tsp Lawry’s Garlic Salt with green lid 

¼ tsp Black Pepper

Vegetable Oil

2 eggs

½ cup milk

In a shallow pan or pie plate combine dry ingredients, in another shallow pan combine milk and eggs and whisk together.

Cut Chicken into nuggets size pieces.  Dredge chicken pieces into the flour then to the egg mixture and back to the flour mixture. 

Heat oil in medium size skillet, once oil is hot enough start dropping chicken into skillet.  Cook on medium to high heat more medium but you want the oil hot enough so that when you place it in the skillet you can see it bubble around it but you don’t want it too hot that it burns it. 

Cook 10 to 15 minutes then place on a plate with a paper towel so it can absorb some of the excess oil.

Make your salad however you want it!  I generally use green leaf lettuce and maybe one more like ice berg or red leaf.  Then I add cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and some freshly grated cheese.



Potato Salad

I love a good potato salad!  I will pass up the store bought stuff faster than anything at a pot luck and go straight to the homemade one and if there isn't a homemade one I'll skip it!  When my niece Kirsten graduated from High School they had brisket, potato salad, beans and etc.  Oh the potato salad was delicious!  They added green olives to it, I thought at first green olives!  The olive brings that salty bite it needs and pairs nicely, really if you like green olives you should try it! 

I didn't put the green olives in the recipe below because it was for some lunches I was doing but when I dished out my protion I added  them to it!  I really like to use Hellman's Mayonnaise it gives a buttery taste to everything.  I use it so much for catering I buy the big container at Sam's (like it's huge).  If you like ranch dressing you need to start making your own, really!  I have the recipe on here under Salad Dressings, check out all the dressing cause they are super quick to make and really good!!!  When I cater there are a few things I make often one is Ranch Dressing and the other is Green Beans which I plan to post tomorrow!  I always always have people come find me and say how did you make that dressing or oh my those green beans, did you cook them for hours, nope!  Check out my post tomorrow!

Chop potatoes in a med size piece...if you get it to small they just nearly disintegrate-get mushy.

Then place in a pan and cover with water.  Boil on med to high heat until they are soft when poking htem with a knife..about 20 to 30 minutes.

Place eggs in a pan and cover with water (very important to keep eggs covered with water).

Once the water starts to boil turn your timer on for 12 minutes.  Then pour out hot water and cover with cold tap water, let set for 5 to 10 minutes and the shell will come right off!  I only used 2 eggs in the potato salad but since I was boiling them I made a few extra.

Drain potatoes well then pour into a bowl season with black pepper, lawry's garlic salt (green lid) and salt add chopped pickles and eggs then combine together with mayo.  You can add a Tbsp of mustard if you like mustard in your potato salad.

So good!

Potato Salad

6 to 8 peeled and chopped potatoes

2 boiled eggs, chopped

¼ cup pickles chopped

1 tbsp mustard (optional)

½ cup to a cup mayonnaise

Salt & pepper to taste

Lawry’s garlic salt (green lid) to taste

Directions

1.    Bring large pot water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender about 20 to 30 minutes.

2.    Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.

3.    In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, pickles, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve warm.

You can add chopped green olives, celery or whatever you would like!  My Grandmother Queenie used to put chow chow in it (pickle relish), lol!

Grape Salad

I have never made this myself but I got this from my friend Heather who is in our Creating Heartstrings group!  Family and friends are always requesting she make this for different gatherings.

I will say that when I have been to gatherings where this is served all I hear is how good it is!!  People are always asking what is in it and if they can have the recipe!

I just personally don't like sour cream or cream cheese (a few things I'll eat with cream cheese) so I haven't made it myself.....I know I should branch out but there are 3 things I just can't seem to like... sour cream, cream cheese and BEANS!  I like green beans but all other beans are out for me!

Please send me your recipes too....the more recipes the better!

So thank you, Heather...keep them coming!!!

4 pounds of seedless grapes (2 pounds of red and 2 pounds of green)

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese

Between 1/2 and 1 cup of white sugar (to your taste)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup (I use 2 cups though) walnuts or pecans

I put my cream cheese in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds then add the sour cream. Add the amount of white sugar you prefer. I never really measure except by taste. Then add the stemmed and washed grapes and mix gently. This amount usually fits perfectly in a 13x9. In separate bowl mix pecans/walnuts and brown sugar and sprinkle on top of grape mixture.

Chicken Salad

This is one of the most requested things I get asked to make in catering.  I have made it so many times I will have to admit I get tired of making it!  I bake my chicken in the oven but you could also boil it in some water then chop it into small pieces. 

You want to make this the night before or at least several (4) hours before because the taste of the chicken salad totally changes! 

This goes well on croissants but also good on just bread!  I buy Sam's Club croissants because they aren't so hard to cut and hold up better.   They are also cheaper and freeze very well!  I freeze them all the time in freezer bags.  At Sam's they are $5.99 for 12 and most grocery stores you get 4 for $4.99.    I just pull them out of the freezer the night before and if I forget I pop them in the microwave.

This recipe below is for alot of folks!  I tell people basically you make this like you would make tuna fish.  Add enough of the other ingredients to the amount of chicken you are using.

 You just want to make sure when making the mayo-whip cream combo you have enough to coat the chicken well and have a reserve for the next day.  I usually start out with 1 cup to 1 cup (I also mix the 2 together after I whip the whip cream) and if there is any left it will keep in the fridge for about a week (or longer).  

When  I am making for a large group I totally go by the recipe below.

The chicken will absorb some of the mixture when in the fridge. The next day I often add some of the reserve mixture to the leftover salad then I add the grapes to the portion I am using.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is the first time I made the chicken in a dutch oven usually I use just a cookie sheet. 

                                                                                   

Chopped up celery

I am a Hellmann's fan for sure!  It really does bring out the best in whatever you make it's so buttery tasting!

Pour the whipping cream into mixing bowl

Whip till it turns into cream and it makes peaks

It's ready!  Now if you happened to make too much you can always add powder sugar to the leftover portion (never to the portion you are adding to the chicken salad)!  Making whip cream is that easy!!!!! 

Combine part mayo to part whipped cream (so 2 cups to 2 cups-example)

Combine the two together

Normally I baked the chicken on a cookie sheet and after its baked you can cut it into cubes.  This time I used my new Le Creuset dutch oven and it bakes it so tender it shreds... So either way works!

In a large bowl add chicken, almonds, celery and salt & pepper

Mix all together with mayo mixture

Wash grapes

Cut grapes in half

Mix in enough grapes for what you will be needing. 

This Chicken salad is wonderful on croissants but taste really good just on plain bread!!  If I am putting it on croissants I just put a little mayo or left over dressing (mayo-whip cream mixture) on the croissant first same thing on bread.. you can add lettuce, tomato and red onion if you like but it's just as good plain!!!

                                                              

Chicken Salad

6 lbs chicken breast cooked (12 cups chopped)

3 cups chopped celery

1 1/2  cups silvered almonds (sliced thin)

3t  salt 

1t  pepper (or more to taste)

Red grapes cut in half  (about 2 cups)

Dressing

2 cups Hellman mayonnaise

2 cups whipped cream (whipped from carton no sugar)

Mix all together

Add grapes as you make sandwiches… if you add in beginning the juice of the grapes will spread in salad.

You can use less chicken!  Add some chopped celery, almonds and salt and pepper to taste then add equal amounts of Hellman’s mayonnaise and whip cream until chicken is at a good consistency..

Save some of the dressing to refresh leftover chicken salad.