When you just can't seem to eat any more leftover roast chicken: A Recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwiches

It's still raining, and now I don't want to leave the comfort of my warm, dry house. Instead of taking a visit to the grocery store, I've decided to hibernate under the covers on the couch. This means I am stuck in my kitchen, trying to make something out of nothing. And that's when I remember the roast chicken I made last night: score.

This recipe is the perfect answer for too much leftover roast chicken. Sometimes, I catch John eating it, cold, out of the refrigerator, and that's fine too. I have my own personal trashcan for any foods I can no longer find a use for. But most of the time, we both can't seem to make ourselves eat any more of the damn chicken.


And that's where this recipe comes in. It's fast, easy and like most things I like to make, can be tweaked depending on your mood or preference. This variation has apples in it, which holds a special place in my heart. I used to hate tuna salad as a kid growing up, and no matter how many times I tried it I just couldn't like it. Then one day, my dad prepared HIS version of it for me; it had diced apples in it. I took a bite, and voila, I became a lover of tuna salad. I know this is chicken salad- but the apple still elevates this meal from so-so to amazing, giving it another layer of flavor and crunch. This recipe makes approx. 3-4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped already cooked/leftover roast chicken meat
  
• 1/2 of an apple, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 small dill pickle, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon (or so) of dijon or stoneground mustard (I like to mix the two)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
  
• 1/8 cup minced red onion
• dash of pickle juice from the jar
• salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• drizzle of olive oil
• slices of light rye bread, or whichever you prefer

The dash of pickle juice from the jar is one of my coveted kitchen secrets for any chicken or tuna salad sandwich (or potato salad, for that matter). It's not the biggest deal to omit it if you don't have it in your fridge already, but it brings out all the other flavors in the salad and adds just the tiniest bit of zing to your palate. Do it, seriously. You're taste buds will thank you later.


Directions for salad:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine first seven ingredients together.
   
2. Drizzle with olive oil. This is a great way to add much needed moisture to your chicken salad, without having to add more mayo into the mix (which is much more unhealthy than the olive oil).
   
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine everything together, making sure it is well blended.
5. Scoop desired amount of chicken salad mixture onto a slice of toasted bread, slathered with more mustard or mayo, if preferred. Add lettuce and final slice of toasted bread and you are good to go. Enjoy!