Because my husband is the only person in our house who eats meat, when he cooks chicken he almost always has quite a lot of chicken left over to eat throughout the week. One of his favorite things to do with all of the leftover chicken is to make chicken salad.

Chicken salad is very easy and quick to prepare. It makes a delicious fast meal with little fuss. You can use it in a sandwich, eat it plain, have it on crackers as a snack, or put it in a wrap with vegetables. Much like tuna salad, it very versatile, and it is easy to use in a variety of ways.

This chicken salad recipe uses grapes, walnuts, and marjoram, giving it a sweet flavor. It is very similar in taste to Waldorf salad, which uses apples instead of chicken.

Chicken Salad Recipe

makes enough for four sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 3 large, cooked chicken breasts, chilled
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup crushed walnuts
• 1/2 cup halved seedless red grapes
• 1/8 cup finely chopped fresh marjoram
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp freshly ground black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Preparation:

You can, of course, bake some chicken specifically to use it in chicken salad, but that would certainly not be a fast meal. It is easiest to use some already cooked chicken, left over from another meal. If you do decide to use fresh chicken, cook it however you wish and then let it cool.

1. Thoroughly wash the celery and the seedless red grapes. Chop the celery into 1/4 inch slices, and halve the red grapes.

2. De-bone the chicken and remove the skin.

3. Chop the chicken meat to your desired texture.

4. Crush the walnuts.

5. Put the chopped celery, halved seedless red grapes, chopped chicken, and crushed walnuts together in a bowl. Mix well.

6. Grind the black peppercorns and finely chop the fresh marjoram.

7. In a small bowl, put the black pepper, marjoram, and paprika into the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.

8. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the main bowl and mix well.

9. Chill for at least one hour, then serve, either by itself, on sandwiches, or however you wish. Enjoy!

Alternatives:

For a completely different taste experience, you can omit the marjoram and grapes and instead add oregano and chopped green olives. This will give the dish a savory flavor, instead of sweet. Another alternative, uses grilled chicken with canned chipotle peppers and sweet red pepper for a spicy, smoky flavor.