chicken salad

I love chicken salad!  You know, the kind with the grapes and pecans?  So yummy!  I don’t love chicken salad that has celery or is loaded with mayonnaise, though.   Let me share with you my lighter, celery-free version of chicken salad.  Instead of using all mayonnaise, I mix mayo and Greek yogurt – the yogurt has less calories and much more protein, and it kind of “stretches” the mayo so that there is still that taste (since I used a little) but you don’t have to use as much as you normally would.

what you need: chicken, grapes, mayo, Greek yogurt, and pecans

cook and shred your chicken

add mayo

and then add Greek yogurt

halve grapes and add them

and finally, add the pecan pieces

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or cubed if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s with canola oil)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook chicken and shred or cube.  Let cool.  Add mayo, yogurt, grapes, pecan pieces, salt, and pepper and mix well.  Keep refrigerated.

Makes 6 servings of 1/2 cup each; 200 calories per serving.  This is South Beach Phase 2.

I love taking chicken salad for my lunch.  You can eat it on crackers, on a bed of lettuce, or with bread/pita to make a sandwich, but I just eat mine with a fork.  This is also a great dish to take to a potluck or baby/wedding shower.