Build-Your-Own Chicken Salad
Sometimes you need a quick and simple dinner. Healthy too, if possible. And something that caters to all the fussiness the kids might be throwing your way that day. This build-your-own chicken salad is the answer you have been looking for. It really is the ultimate in throw together simplicity.
I love that there are no real rules to how it comes together. Just use what you have in the fridge and what you know the family will eat. I tend to make it as a good way to use up any salad odds and ends that are invariably lurking in my fridge. By preparing all the items and placing them on a board together it allows the family to dish up exactly what they want. And with kids, when they have served it themselves they are often more likely to eat it!
For my salad platter there are a few essentials of course. A protein as the base – chicken is my go to, but you can use anything else (it’s a great way to use up leftover roast meat or a BBQ chicken). There MUST be bacon, but that’s because bacon is one of life’s essentials. I like a cheese of some sort – there’s fetta on this plate but fried haloumi, cheddar or a parmesan also work well. A legume or some croutons to add a bit of extra body. A leaf of some sort – lettuce, spinach, rocket or cabbage. And then go to town with whatever other salad ingredients you like. Likewise for the dressing, I just pop a few options on the table and let everyone choose their own. A good olive oil, vinegar or two, pre-made dressing or aioli and you can’t go wrong.
For this recipe I poached some chicken to go on the board. I didn’t have any leftover protein that needed using and I wanted some chicken for sandwiches and pasta dishes through the week. A time saving tip is to shred the poached chicken using a KitchenAid and the paddle attachment. Thirty seconds on a low speed and it’s done – amazing! I’ve popped the poached chicken process down the bottom of the chicken salad recipe if you are interested.
You may also notice I haven’t used quantities in the recipe – it is up to you and what you have! The recipe is a guide only and shoudl be used to provide inspiration for your own version of the Chicken Salad!
