Chicken Salad with a French Twist

My mother was an amazing cook and she took Chicken Salad to a new level with her creative twist using her French dressing recipe. You can certainly make this chicken salad without the rice soaked in her French dressing, but you may miss a special treat! She often added fresh pineapple chunks instead of or in addition to the sliced grapes. Over the years, I have added chopped fresh dill and Italian parsley to her recipe.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 large boneless chicken breast

• 1 cup water with 1/2 tbsp of Better than Bouillon Chicken Broth

• 3/4 cup seedless grapes, halved (red or green)

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

• 1/2 cup Craisins

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

• 1/2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

• 1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (sometimes I do half and half)

• Squeezed juice of 1/2 of a lemon

• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste)

• 1 Boil in Bag white rice (optional - a delicious change)

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 c French dressing:
  

French Dressing Recipe

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4c sugar

1/2 c Hunts Ketchup

2 tbsp. grated onion

3/4 c Vegetable oil

Mix the vinegar and sugar, next add ketchup and onion. Finally add the oil and whisk vigorously until the French dressing is thoroughly mixed.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Warm 1 cup water and Better than Bouillon in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.

• Place chicken breast in pyrex pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour the bouillon water mixture over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap (I love Costco's Kirkland Plastic Wrap)

• Microwave for about 8-10 minutes (depending on their size) If still pink cook at 1 minute intervals until done.

• Remove the chicken from the broth and cool. You can roughly chop or simply tear the chicken into pieces and place in a large bowl.

• Prepare the Boil in Bag white rice and let it cool

• In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, dill, parsley and Crasins.

• In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise/Miracle Whip, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper

• Stir the mixture into the chicken.

• Pour 1/4c. of the french dressing over the cooked rice and add to the chicken salad and stir again. (If you don't want to add rice, you can simply stir the French dressing into the chicken salad without the rice.

• Cover the bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

• Serve on a bed of Romaine, Boston or Bibb lettuce with sliced or wedge tomatoes to make a pretty plate.