Chicken Salad

This one feels a little like giving away the combination to the safe. 😉 It’s simple, fresh, a little sweet, and exactly the kind of recipe I love — especially because the slow cooker and KitchenAid do most of the work for me.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 7 frozen chicken breasts

For the chicken salad

• 1 cup olive oil mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

• 1 teaspoon salt
  Redmond Real Salt is my favorite

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup quartered grapes

• 1 cup diced apples

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

Instructions

1. Place the frozen chicken breasts in a slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and easily shreds. Because I’m always a sucker for an easy button.

3. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

4. Mix on low speed just until the chicken is evenly and finely shredded. Keep an eye on it — you want small, consistent pieces without overmixing.

Make the Chicken Salad

5. Add the olive oil mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, salt, and black pepper to the shredded chicken.

6. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated and everything is well combined. I do this in my KitchenAid mixer.

7. Fold in the quartered grapes, diced apples, chopped pecans, and chopped celery.

8. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.

9. Chill well before serving. This chicken salad is even better the next day, once it has had time to get really cold and all the flavors have had a chance to marry together.

Salt Note

Before adding the apples, soak the diced pieces briefly in orange juice. Drain them well, but don’t rinse. It helps keep the apples fresh and adds just the right touch of sweetness.