A interesting twist on chicken salad

With summer in full swing it is the time for chicken salads to be added to our meal plans. For the last year or so my tarragon chicken salad has been a staple of my wife’s summer lunch rotation. So, it was a bit ironic for me that of the recipes I was asked to review for Ready Set Eat in June two of them would wind up being twists on chicken salad.

What I love about chicken salads is that I can prepare big batches of it in advance, portion it out and have a healthy lunch at the ready. Now I have two different ways to prepare it thanks to this month’s recipe review challenges. The first one I made was a Creamy Dill Chicken Salad that was really good, as I love dill and the cucumbers added a nice crunch. However, it was the Apple Bacon Chicken Salad that was the bigger hit in my home. I mean, if you think about it, chicken, good. Apples, good. Bacon, very good.

Loaded with fresh ingredients – chicken, green onions, apples – it is a light, yet hearty meal option for lunch in a pita or a sandwich thin or dinner with a bed of arugula dressed in some olive oil and lemon. When I made my most recent batch I used plain greek yogurt in the mix, which is a nice departure from the more traditional mayonnaise, and even topped it off with some roughly chopped walnuts to add another textural element.

This apple bacon chicken salad has got a lot going on with the sweet from the apples, the saltiness from the bacon and the tang from the mustard and greek yogurt that should leave a little something for everyone at your table.

Apple Bacon Chicken Salad

recipe courtesy of Ready Set Eat

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Parkay® Original Spread-tub
• 2 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups chopped unpeeled apple
• 1 container (6 oz each) plain nonfat yogurt (6 oz = 2/3 cup)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Gulden’s® Spicy Brown Mustard

Directions

1. Melt Parkay in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and chicken; sprinkle with salt. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; place in shallow dish. Cool in freezer 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine apple, yogurt, onions and mustard in medium bowl. Stir in cooled chicken and bacon.

Disclosure: I am compensated by ConAgra Foods to review recipes for Ready Set Eat. However, my opinions contained herein are my own.