Basil Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, diced (see note)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's reduced fat with olive oil)
- 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place chicken, garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl; toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. Serves 6-8.
NOTE: This salad can be made in a matter of minutes with precooked chicken. If you don't have any on hand, here are a couple of simple ways to cook the chicken for this and similar recipes:
- Baked Chicken. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place four large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts skin side up in a baking pan. Rub chicken with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 35-40 minutes. Set aside. Debone chicken once it is cool enough to handle; discard skin and bones. Dice meat.
- Poached Chicken. Buy one whole roasting chicken (3-5 pounds). Remove and discard the giblet bag from inside the cavity. Place chicken in a large stockpot. Add one large onion (peeled and halved), one celery stalk and one carrot (celery and carrot only need to be rinsed before adding to the pot). Add enough cold water to cover chicken by several inches. Place stockpot over medium-high heat; slowly bring to a simmer. Partially cover pot; cook for 45 minutes. Do not allow water to come to a boil. Do not stir the pot. (This will keep the chicken tender and the stock clear.) Remove pot from heat, cover completely with lid and allow chicken to stand in hot liquid for an additional 30-60 minutes (the chicken will finish cooking during this time). Skim impurities from surface of stock. Transfer chicken to a platter. Debone chicken once it is cool enough to handle; discard skin and bones. Dice meat. Strain stock; discard solids. Freeze stock for another use.