The holiday period that begins a day or two before Thanksgiving when the first pan of cornbread is cooked for dressing and extends through Christmas, New Year’s, Super Bowl Sunday and finally, Valentine’s Day, is over.
No-Mans Land, nestled between those food-laden days and Easter, is where we’re bound to stay for awhile.
After these special days, some feel overweight, others lethargic, but the majority of us are not very interested in cooking. Enter rapidly prepared salads that can be created from a variety of healthy meat and seafood, including boiled or baked chicken, fresh shrimp and even canned salmon and tuna.
I personally like these types of salads, mainly because during the 2-3 days they languish in my refrigerator, they can be consumed a variety of ways.
They can be baked hot and spread over crispy crackers, tucked in a flaky croissant, encased in healthier whole wheat bread or serve as the interesting main ingredient for ho-hum green salad.
I was reminded of the diversity of chicken salad last week while dining at Majestic Burger, Jackson’s newest burger restaurant. While most sampled homemade, juicy burgers topped with bacon and spicy Comeback sauce, one member of the party requested chicken salad.
As often happens when I sample someone else’s food, I was inspired to search out a recipe when I got home. My favorite recipe by far is one created by Paula Deen. Hers is a hot salad, but I’ve also used it as a dip.
This just proves yet again that when it comes to diversity, meat-based salads are right at home in No-Mans Land.
Hot Chicken Salad
2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, cubed
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
2/3 cup crushed potato chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, celery, almonds, salt, pepper, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and cheese. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spread the crushed potato chips on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com.
Kara Kimbrough writes a syndicated food column. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
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Fill ‘No-Mans Land’ with tasty salad/dip
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