Kooking with Kristin: Chicken Salad!

On vacation over the years on the beach in Michigan, it has become a tradition to eat yummy chicken salad!  My mom, my sisters and I all love it and it tastes so good overlooking Lake Michigan.  I learned this "recipe" a few years back, and we have loved and enjoyed it ever since.  I say "recipe" because I have a list of ingredients, but just guess on the amounts.  I like mostly chicken and followed by some grapes and just a little of the other ingredients.  It always turns out so yummy!  I always say to make a recipe what you like or already have.  For example, I have made this without the grapes because we didn't have them at the time and it was still delicious.  You could make with fried chicken that was left over after an event, etc.

Ingredients:

• Cooked and cut chicken breasts to bite size pieces (cook in the microwave, oven or grill chicken til done-white in center but still moist)
• Diced onion
• Diced celery
• I like to add a little season salt and pepper to taste
• Grapes that are cut in half (I have used green or red grapes-I am the woman in the store that tries one of each to see which are sweeter)
• Chopped pecans
• Mayonnaise (we have been using the olive oil with lower fat for this.  I love Miracle Whip, but I don't think it tastes as good in this).
• We love the mini croissants, because they are a little easier to eat.

Preparation:  (The time consuming part is getting the ingredients ready and easy preparation after that).

• Put all ingredients into a big bowl.  
• Add mayo (remember to put less to start, because you can always add but not take away. You want just a light coating of mayo).
• Cut the croissants to make a sandwich, but leaving the one side still connected to help keep all the good stuff from falling out.

Chicken salad croissants are great for a baby shower, summer picnic or at the beach!!  Yum, yum!  XXOO, Kristin