Servings: 4 Prep: 10 min Cook: 0 mins Total: 10 min
I’m sorta embarrassed by this recipe. I’m not sure why, but I’m a little squeamish putting it onto my website. Actually, I DO know why I’m embarrassed.
I LOVE the roasted chickens I find at all the various stores. Even down in Mexico, I could always a good and inexpensive whole roasted chicken. I usually cut the breasts out and eat them “as is”, or I cook them into something, like a soup or some kind of stir-fry. Usually I get a meal from each breast. Then, on the 3rd day, I usually warm up the chicken, pick the legs and the rest of the chicken of its final remaining meat. That’s always used for chicken salad (occasionally, I use this for other things, but it’s ALMOST always chicken salad). Some of the time it’s regular, and some of the time it’s curried, but the basic source is the same. The bones are then made into stock.
I do this … A LOT. I want to say once a week, but it’s probably closer to once a month. It’s a fairly regular occurrence. It’s always quick and rustic, it goes into a Tupperware with a lid and usually sustains me for about 3 more days. It’s never eaten WITH anything, on anything, inside anything, etc. Just a bowl of chicken salad … in a bowl. That’s it.
I suppose this is why, when the time came to add it to my website, my mind kind of … farted.
I couldn’t think of anything! I had no master vision. No clever plan. I couldn’t imagine just having a bowl of chicken salad sitting in a bowl. It would look ridiculous! I needed to do SOMETHING! I scoured my kitchen, looking for an idea. I found a nice piece of iceberg lettuce and a tomato. Ok, I’ll go New Jersey Diner Style!
In retrospect, it looks like I opened a can of cat food and tried to impress my fancy cat. Oh … I’m so embarrassed. I’m going to go hide in my man cave, now. (also, I don’t have a fancy cat)
In short: This simple and delicious chicken salad is HIGH on my list of things to eat, but … I don’t know how to make it purdy. It’s a tasty little mayonnaise salad in a bowl, which … kind of … belongs in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken meat diced
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- 1/2 cp celery diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted
- 1/2 cup real bacon bits
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp celery seed
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the stuff in a bowl!
- Eat! (not the bowl)
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* Learn More: More about this recipe and nutrition …
I think you need a cat. Not a fancy one, just go to your local animal shelter and get one (or two). My cats eat low-carb, because one is a bit on the chunky side, and I was afraid that she would get diabetes. It is amazing that most cat food is grain based, and even wet food is full of suspect ingredients. But even the grain free food has peas and carrots in it (have you ever heard of wild cats eating peas???).
LOL! Yes, I agree with you on the Cat Food thing. Animals are also getting the same processed nastiness that we humans are so readily ingesting. I’ve got many a friend that feeds their animals EXCELLENT high quality food, fit for a human! I definitely approve of this behavior! Give the animal diets similar to that of their ancestors (humans, too!). Regarding getting a cat. I’ve lived with several cats in my life, but have never owned one. Cats and I have a lifelong pact. We agree to disagree. Neither of us seem to budge from that stance. I’m not sure why, but … that’s just how it always seems to go.
Ohh I so know this feeling. I made a delicious chicken and pea shirataki rice paella once and it looked like … well worse than cat food! There was just nothing I could do to make it look like moosh in a bowl!
Taste wise – it sounds great 🙂
Mmmm, love a good chicken salad. And I also love to occasionally get a store roasted chicken. And yep, do the same thing to it, always ending up with homemade broth and then soup.
I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Have to tell ya, I smiled when I wrote down the recipe, cuz I named it "DJ’s Cat Food Chicken Salad." Just so I wouldn’t forget which one it was, of course. 😉
Hi Low Carb Central! Thanks for stopping by! Sorry for the delay in my response. This was a heavy duty kitchen week, which makes it tough to respond to emails/comments as quickly as I’d like. In any event, chicken, peas and shirataki rice? I’ll bet it was tasty! I can imagine how it would look a bit like a green speckled puddle of strange, though. I actually just made something similar, but chose to go super rustic, with cauli-rice and just baked the whole thing. It’s more "Paella Themed", but it looked and tasted quite lovely. Looking forward to posting the recipe!
Hi Loretta! Let me know how it turns out!
DJ my husband said this is the best chicken salad he has ever eaten. I used canned chicken and it was amazing! Thanks
Glad to hear it, Anita! What do you think it was? The bacon?! 😉
The chicken salad looked good! If you wanted to "fancy" it up so it didn’t look like it came out of a cat food can so much, next time just fluff it up some or, if you have some kind of scoop (like an ice cream scoop) or big spoon, you could use that to scoop it into the lettuce. An ice cream or mashed potato scoop is the way most of the "other" people make it look… fancier, I guess.
Lynn, there are ways. I have a curried chicken salad which was more "fluffed" and looks more natural and is a nice shot, actually. In this case, I think I was in a hurry, other food was burning … and the whole thing was hastily done. Plus, it’s kind of a funny/silly topic and I think people appreciate the humor behind it, while acknowledging that the weird disc of chicken is, in all likelihood, quite delicious! That said … some day … I may reshoot it. P.S. Some of the time the SCOOPED foods, like perfect half spheres, seem just as odd and out of place as the perfect discs … Random aside. 😉
This chicken salad is awesome! Made it today and can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow. I had it with a side of cubed mozzarella & tomatoes, drizzled with a little balsamic. YUM!!!
Thanks, Lora! Sounds like a very solid meal! 🙂
This chicken salad is awesome! I made it for my romaine lettuce wraps to bring to work for lunch. It’s one of those dishes that I keep going back for a little more. Your making my lunches the envy of the office 🙂
Awesome, Rosemary! Glad to hear it! 🙂
You made me laugh and laugh with your recipe. You are always so entertaining. ?? Thanks. Also realizing how far a roasted chicken can go is impressive!
Thanks, Laura. Yep, a single bird will feed me for days, plus I get the broth, which goes into soups and stuff. Realistically … it could probably carry me even further, if I weren’t such a hedonistic glutton! 🙂
Needs a handful of sliced seedless red grapes tossed in to kick it up a notch without adding too many carbs!
—Reply posted by Gina on 1/27/2015
and apples!
I make something similar to this one but I add a little curry to the mayo and add halved green grapes. Not a fan of celery seed. The curry gives it a little more spice!
I’ve actually got a curried chicken salad, as well. I love it! For some reason, I don’t make it as often as this one, but … I think I secretly enjoy it even more! Some of the time … I make no sense. 😉
Add you some toasted Pecan halves or quarters to that along with you seedles grape half and or some small diced Honey Crisp Apples pices. Yummy good.
I make mine a stuffed tomato. I also add cashews and apples. Yummy!
—Reply posted by DJ on 1/28/2015
Sounds good!
I thought it was funny. I have a strange sense of humor. My favorite senior joke is I’ll be eating cat food soon because of social security. Always having to cut the budget. I have other health issues, pancreas need low fat and trygliceride issues. It like a double edge sword. Pancreas seems to be better now?, so I am trying low carbs. My only problem is artificial sweeteners, finding one that I can’t tell the diff with real sugar. I am a sugerholic. Enough of that. I steam chicken breasts as I only like white meat. Recipe shredded chicken, mayo, lots of celery, and halved red grapes (lots). I found a low carb soft taco I finally talked Dr into letting me have a few a week, closes thing to real bread that I like and make wraps, hot dogs, fat free Bologna, chicken or tuna salad and a lot more. I just haven’t found a low carb recipe that I can use to replace bread. I just haven’t tried hard enough yet as I am new to this and sometimes use real sugar, sorry. Being on SS it is expensive for us to buy a 1lb bag of flower for 10.00 etc. I have every thing to make bagels, pan etc. but I am afraid I won’t like it. I just have too many hang ups. I have purchase the 5 book splendid etc, but I want to get the carb w/ friends series but not in budget yet. Do I have to buy them each as singles? I have learned to like all reg peppers, not hot ones and broccoli cole slaw mix I put in all my salads now. Sorry that I have rambled on. Soft taco is made by Mission, has 6 carbs and low in fat(panceas). Thank you a 100 times over for your recipes.
—Reply posted by DJ on 2/17/2015
Hi Kay! Welcome! I doubt you’ll be too terribly shocked to learn that I also have a strange sense of humor. Regarding the sugar thing … don’t underestimate your ability to change your tastes. Straight sugar tastes kind of weird to me, now. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE it, but … it’s a very different experience. I’m quite happy with my current selection of sweeteners. I think if you find one you can enjoy, in time, you’ll find that you love it. It just takes a bit of time for your tastes to adjust. Outside of that, the publishers that sell the Low Carbing Among Friends series do offer specials and deals and I think they offer them in a package, but I’m not sure. The best bet would be to ask them on their Facebook page. I’m just an author. In any event … welcome. Let me know if you have any further questions. Here to help!
I live on a small Mexican Island for six months a year & LOVE the rotisserie chickens here. I also use them as you do. Your chicken salad recipe is delish.
—Reply posted by DJ on 4/12/2015
Which Island, Laura? I’m kind of curious. I live in Cabo, where almost everyone speaks English. My lazy brain latches onto that and is resistant to learning Spanish. I’m strongly considering spending a few months in a more rural part of Mexico and totally immerse myself in the culture, forcing myself to completely learn Spanish. I currently speak like a 4-year old. I can communicate pretty much anything, but its super choppy. I need to force myself into difficult positions, to finally and completely learn it fluently … Would your island work? I’m looking for a small to medium sized town, not too rustic … but very few (if any) Gringos … Any thoughts? Finally … I’m glad you like the salad! 🙂