When I was newly married, I could make a mean bowl of Frosted Flakes and open a can of Chunky Soup faster than a toupee flying off a head in a hurricane. That was it. Thankfully, a lovely and generous lady who attended our church (and owned her own catering business) offered to give me a crash course in cooking (Hallelu).  Diane came to our little postage stamp of an apartment after we got married and taught me how to make chocolate cake and lasagna for a wedding present – can you think of anything better!? She knew the way to a man’s heart is through his belly. She left me with the food we had prepared, along with several of her favorite recipes for me to conquer. One of those recipes is her chicken salad. I have been making her chicken salad for years, and have tried many twists on the original recipe – here are two versions for you!

3 lg chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1  1/2 C mayo
1/2 C chopped celery
1 C dried sweet craisins
1 C chopped walnuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder

Danielle’s Twist: Try subbing out craisins for halved red grapes, or adding tarragon to the original recipe. For a lighter version, I usually sub out half of the mayo for plain greek yogurt.

Boil Chicken, let cool and then dice into small cubes. Chop the celery and walnuts. Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Adjust ingredient measurements to your taste. Serve on a whole wheat wrap with romaine lettuce or spring mix. If you want to fancy things up for a bridal or baby shower, try this chicken salad on raisin bread! Sounds weird – tastes AMAZING!

*Pictures by: Rebecca O’hara Photography