Chicken Salad

If you're thinking of diced chicken, coated in mayo, and resting on a bed of lettuce, this is a very different recipe.

Continuing with the theme of food that a college student can make (without setting the house on fire), we have our version of a grilled chicken salad.

I had the boys bake the chicken in the toaster oven.  I love the toaster oven for the boys precisely because it has a timer feature on the side.  I set the temperature, dial up the number of minutes I want it to cook, and walk away.  When the timer goes off, the oven goes off.  Voila!  Less of a chance of forgetting the entire thing and setting something on fire.

We buy the big bags of chicken in the store, that are flash frozen.  When I was at the store last week, a pound of chicken breasts was running close to $10, and the 5 pound package of individually frozen chicken breasts was selling for $12.  I don't know who did the math on that particular deal, but I did snatch up several packages while I was there.  The nice thing about the individually frozen chicken breasts is that you can pull out as little (or as much) as you need.

Chicken Salad

One or two chicken tenderloins
black pepper
lettuce, 1 head, washed & torn
1/4 cup of chopped nuts
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
Italian Dressing
assorted chopped veggies

Spray the toaster oven baking pan with non-stick spray.  Place the chicken breast on the tray, and grind black pepper over all.

Bake in a 350* toaster oven for 30 minutes. (if frozen)  Keep an eye on the chicken for the last 15 minutes.  If the inside center is white, the chicken is done.  If it is still pink inside, cook in 5 minute increments until it is white.

Meanwhile, tear and wash the lettuce leaves.
Dice any salad veggies.  (I must confess, for the boys salad, we bought a mix of pre-cut salad veggies in a box.  Red & Green Pepper, Red Onion, and Celery.  Alternately, they can buy veggies from the salad bar.)

Prepare the Italian Dressing.

Slice the chicken into strips.

Toss everything together in a salad bowl, top with dressing.


Italian Dressing
(From the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, 1981, pg. 351)

In a screw top jar, combine 1 1/3 cups olive oil, 1/2 cup high quality cider vinegar, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (if desired), 1 TBSP sugar, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. celery salt, 1/2 tsp. white pepper, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1 clove of garlic, minced.   Cover, shake well to mix.  Chill, shake again just before serving.  Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Honestly, the boys have been mixing up salad dressing since they were little.  Whipping up a batch doesn't take them very long.  You'd think it would be easier to buy a bottle of dressing, but this is quick, easy, tastes fantastic, and isn't very expensive to make.