Thursday, August 4, 2011

"Shower Food"

This is one of my MOST FAVORITE chicken salad recipes.  My grandma made it often & I LOVED it every time.  My grandma made the most delicious food.  Her food was always simple and yummy.  Anyways, I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Really!  I could!!  My husband thinks it's strange to have fruit, veggies, pasta, etc. in one dish - and he lovingly (*wink *wink)  refers to this salad as "shower food" cause I make it a lot for bridal and baby showers.  He thinks it's only a food girls would like.  He's weird!  Serve the salad with warm, homemade rolls and jam, a glass of lemon water and a sugar cookie and you've got yourself a perfect menu for any "GIRL" gathering...


Here's the recipe:
I got it from my grandma, OraLee,  who received it from a dear friend, Helen Bauer.

Chicken Salad
Boil 8 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion, covered well with water.  Cook for 1-2 hours until chicken is well done.  Remove chicken from broth, cool, remove skin and bones, and cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Cook 4 cups raw bow-shaped pasta in boiling salted water for about 12 minutes.  Drain, rinse in cold water and cool.  Makes 4 cups cooked pasta.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Put in large bowl:
8 cups cut up chicken
4 cups bow-shaped pasta
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 8 oz. bottles Kraft Cole Slaw Dressing
2 cups mayonnaise (Best Foods)
2 dashes thyme
2 pinches ginger

Stir the above carefully so pasta will not be broken, refrigerate overnight.

Before serving add:
2 cups diced celery
4 cups unpeeled diced apples
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
4 cups red grape halves
2 20 oz. cans Dole pineapple tidbits, drained.

Stir together carefully, and serve on lettuce leaf.  Makes 24 cups of Salad.
Will serve 32 servings 3/4 cups each.

(I usually always make half the recipe, and I always use boneless skinless chicken breasts...)

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