Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Apple, Fennel
Chicken Salad
"Baked chicken with apples, toasted pecans, dates, sweet onion, celery & ground fennel seeds in a creamy Dijon mustard dressing"
Ingredients
3 1/2-4 pounds bone-in chicken breasts-about 4 large breasts
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Baking sheet
Food thermometer
3/4 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup small cubed, honey crisp apples
tossed with lemon juice to prevent browning
½ cup chopped Good Quality dates
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds-mortar pestle
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Whole Grain bread
Onion Rolls
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avocados
Your favorite lettuce
Crispy bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, rub with olive oil and season well with salt & pepper. Place 1-2 inches apart bone side down on the baking sheet, place in the center of the oven and bake until temperature of chicken breasts reaches 165F. Remove from oven, place breasts on a plate to cool. Once cooled, remove meat from the bone and cube with a sharp knife.
Measure out 4 cups of the cubed chicken and place in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together then add all of the remaining ingredients along with the dressing and mix well. Refrigerate to chill.
Serve with whole grain breads, onion rolls, lettuce, tomato, avocado and crispy bacon.
