I was trying to think of recipes for Memorial Day Weekend, when I came up with this recipe. I was in the middle of doing one of my favorite things ... buying a roasted chicken from the local grocery store and then cutting it up and using parts for different things. I'm a BIG fan of making curried chicken salad with the chilled leg meat, for example.

In any event, I was picking my chicken, about to make some chicken salad; my mind was flooding with ideas about family BBQ's, picnics, potlucks, the outdoors, etc. Then, this recipe just popped straight dead into the middle of my mind and almost knocked me on the floor. I KNEW it was an awesome idea, right when it hit me. It's so simple, but it's got nothing but full, fresh and well rounded flavors. It's totally rustic and coarsely chopped, without any refined edges, whatsoever. It's perfect!

Chicken Note: This recipe basically calls for cooked chicken meat. I personally use cut up chicken from roasted grocery store chickens. The salad is excellent whether the chicken is hot or cold. I can envision something like a pre-mixed salad, with everything already assembled and ready to go, except the chicken. Bring some raw chicken, marinated in a little BBQ sauce and grill it up just before ready to eat. Then, cut up the freshly grilled hot chicken, throw it in with the rest of the salad, toss it with the dressing and serve a warm BBQ'd chicken salad!

Other Random Note: I used big chunks of stuff. In the pictures, it's just whole warm breast meat from a grocery store chicken. I've also got whole strips of bacon, but cut them about every inch, as well as cherry tomatoes, which I just cut in half. Big chunks of roasted peppers, too! I'm kind of drooling as I type this ...

All I can say is, since this one hit me upside the head, I've been making it A LOT. This is EASILY one of my new favorites.