Chicken Salad can be part of a tasty ten-dollar meal for your family. The following recipe is a great starter recipe. As you become familiar with the recipe please, please, please experiment, adapt and make it your own. Then share it with us! It's always a treat to learn new ways to prepare favorites. In the spirit of individuality I am not going to list measures for some ingredients - experiment! Flavor to taste! Enjoy!

Poach enough chicken to yield 4 cups of diced meat. You can use any part of the chicken. If you are on a budget use chicken legs or thighs. Watch for sales on boneless chicken breasts as they are easy to dice. You should cook the chicken until it is done - an internal temperature of 175 degrees (I always cook to a higher then recommended temp - just to be safe!). One of the secrets recipes that your favorite restaurants use is to cook the chicken in chicken broth. This enhances the flavor. I sometimes use a low sodium broth. Allow to cool before dicing into ¼ - ½ inches cubes.

4 Cups diced, cooked chicken

Dice one stalk of celery into 1/4 inch pieces

Dice a small onion or several scallions.

1 cup of mayonaise

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Optional ( use any or all of the following per your taste)

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1 cup seedless grapes

chopped parlsey

choped fresh dill or tumeric

curry

diced black walnuts

In a mixing bowl add the mayo, mustard, lemon juice and mix. Add spices and optional items and mix. Add chicken and gently combine. Refridgerate until ready to use.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with cantaloupe wedges or use in sandwiches.

If you enjoy chicken salad see my hub: Top 10 Chicken Salad Recipe Secrets. Check the Ten Dollar Dad hubs for more budget friendly recipes and entertainment ideas. Thanks for stopping by!