Apples of Gold

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Cissy’s Chicken Salad

Cissy's Chicken Salad
The Best I Ever Made

I have been making this chicken salad for many, many years.  I am so happy to share it with you.  It is simple to make and oh so delicious.  I like serving it on a bed of mixed lettuce with hearts of palm, tomatoes, boiled eggs, chunks of cheese or whatever I have in the fridge.  As  you can see,  from the picture I didn’t have much in the fridge this day.  This is one of the favorite recipes of the Apples of Gold Ministry. It is my go to recipe for serving at a ladies luncheon, any kind of shower, picnic or going to an outdoor concert.  As a salad,  with all the yummy sides I like to box it in a to go box for outdoor concerts.  It is a good way to take a whole meal in one container and you can easily pack it in a cooler.  Take along some crusty bread and some of your favorite dressing for the lettuce.  My favorite to serve with it is  homemade Italian dressing.  Then all you need is a dessert that is easy to transport.  You might try my Graham Cracker Cookies.   I am so glad warm weather is finally here.  We had a hard winter  in Atlanta.  But with the warm, sunny days we are all thinking of out door dining and we have lots of great outdoor concerts locally.  Can’t wait to make this meal and go.   Who can you invite for a picnic or maybe just take over a big bowl of chicken salad to a friends house?   Spread some Joy with Cissy’s Chicken Salad.   Enjoy!!!

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I like chicken tenderloins, they are easy to cook and then chop in Small Food Processor
I like chicken tenderloins, they are easy to cook and then chop in Small Food Processor
Slivered almonds that have roasted at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Brings out the flavor of the nuts.
Slivered almonds that have roasted at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Brings out the flavor of the nuts.
Measuring cup that makes measuring mayo, honey anything sticky easy. Just Plop out.
Must Have Measuring Cup that makes measuring mayo, honey anything sticky easy. Just PLOP out.
Chop chicken in your handy small food processor.
Chop chicken in your handy small food processor.
Cissy's Chicken Salad
The Best I Ever Made
Chopped chicken, toasted almonds, pineapple tidbits, mayo and dried cranberries ready for mixing.
Chopped chicken, toasted almonds, pineapple tidbits, mayo and dried cranberries ready for mixing.

 

 

Cissy's Chicken Salad

Cissy’s Chicken Salad

Basic Chicken Salad Recipe to start with and then add your favorite items. "Make It Your Own"
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 7
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chicken (3 breasts or one 2 lb. bag frozen chicken tenderloins) cooked and finely chopped
  • 1 8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drain off 1/4 of the juice. Use remaining 3/4 in the recipe
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (My favorite is Duke's, light or regular)
  • 1 cup sliced almonds of slivered almonds (I like to toast them at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes) Careful they burn quickly.
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Method
 

  1. Boil chicken till it test to 180 degrees or boil chicken for 5 minutes turn off and cover with lid. Let set for 20 minutes. This is a good way to cook chicken that will not overcook it or dry it out..
  2. Use small food processor to chop chicken or finely chop by hand.
  3. Combine chopped chicken and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Salt to taste
  4. Serve as a sandwich or over a bed of lettuce with your favorite salad items.

Notes

I like to roast the nuts to bring out their flavor.  You can also use pecans or walnuts.
Cool chicken salad to bring out the flavors.
Make it your own by adding some of these suggestions.
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon curry powder along with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried tarragon for a completely different flavor
I would not use curry and tarragon together.  As you can see this is a good basic Chicken Salad recipe for you to start with and then add what your your family would like.  Be creative.
It will be “The Best You Ever Made”    Enjoy 
 
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Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

The Best I Ever Made
The Best I Ever Made

Here I go again with another casserole.  Maybe I should rename my blog site to “Casseroles for you and me”.  I can’t help it.  Having a casserole in the freezer makes me a “happy gal”.  I don’t have to worry “what’s for dinner”.  This is one of my go to casseroles.  It is so easy and kids to adults love it.  I’ll bet you will be like me and want to eat all the topping, right out of the bowl.  Yum!!!   Make one tonight, but you know me, make two or three – one for your family, one for the freezer and one to share.  The picture below shows an afternoon of cooking I did last week.   My nephew and his sweet wife had a new baby boy, Maddox.  So, since what I do is cook, I made casseroles.   Now, when they are tired and no one is bringing dinner, they can pop one in the oven and dinner is ready.   The great thing about making casseroles and delivering them frozen is that you can cook on your time schedule and they can heat and enjoy them on their time schedule.  Easy for all.   Who do you know that you can share the joy of “dinner is ready” with a casserole for their freezer or dinner that night?  Be a Blessing!

Burrito Supreme, Easy Shepperd’s Pie, Poppy Seed Chicken

 

I like using Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
Make sure to remove the tendons from the chicken tenderloins
Cut cooked chicken into cubes with Kitchen Shears.
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Sleeves of crackers in plastic bag.
Use mallet to crush.
Butter, crushed crackers and poppy seeds
Butter, crushed crackers
and poppy seeds ready
to mix together.

Cooked all bubbly and ready to serve and enjoy

Cooked all bubbly and ready
to serve and enjoy.   “The Best I Ever Made”

Poppy Seed Chicken

Delicious chicken casserole with a buttery, cracker topping
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts or 1- 2 lb. bag frozen chicken tenders
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 1 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 stick Ritz Cracker or Club Crackers, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 stick butter salted

Method
 

  1. Boil chicken. Remove skin, debone, and cut up.
  2. Mix soup, sour cream and chicken.
  3. Pour into casserole dish.
  4. Mix crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.
  5. Spread over chicken.
  6. Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees till hot and bubbly around 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Notes

I like to make 2 small 8X8 pans sometimes instead of 1 larger casserole. 
To Freeze:  Place in freezer safe container.  Make sure to cool completely before freezing.
To Serve:  Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees till hot and bubbly around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
May be cooked frozen, add extra time. 
Tidbit Tip:  To cool casserole quicker before freezing, place lightly covered casserole in refrigerator or the freezer.  Once cool wrap tightly and freeze.    It freezes  great.   Yum, Yum.  Enjoy 

Steps For Chopping An Onion
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Steps For Chopping An Onion

Chopping an Onion 101  

When you learn this technique you will never dread chopping an onion again. The worst part will be the smell on your hands.

Tidbit Tip – Soap up your hands and rub them over a stainless steel sink or stainless steel bar the odor will be gone.  This tip works for all odors give it a try!!!

The Blossom end of the onion and a sharp knife

The Blossom end of the onion and a sharp knife

Step 1: Cut off the Blossom End to make a flat surface for the next step.

Step 1: Cut off the Blossom End to make a flat surface for the next step.

Step 2: Place the onion flat side down and cut in half. I like to think of this end as the end looking like hair. One end the Blossom, One end the Hair.

Step 2: Place the onion flat side down and cut in half. I like to think of this end as the end looking like hair. One end the Blossom, One end the Hair.

Step 3: Cut the onion in half and peel.

Step 3: Cut the onion in half and peel.

Step 4: Place the onion flat side down and cut starting in the middle down the onion moving over to make the next cut till you have cut across the entire onion. Be careful not to cut through the end. You want it intact to hold the onion together for the next step. The wider the cuts the larger the size of your onion pieces will be. The closer the cuts the smaller the pieces. The next picture will show cuts all the way across and down the sides.

Step 4: Place the onion flat side down and cut starting in the middle down the onion moving over to make the next cut till you have cut across the entire onion. Be careful not to cut through the end. You want it intact to hold the onion together for the next step. The wider the cuts the larger the size of your onion pieces will be. The closer the cuts the smaller the pieces. The next picture will show cuts all the way across and down the sides.

Picture of the cuts made across entire onion.

Picture of the cuts made across entire onion.

Step 5: Cut down through the cuts; again the closer you cut to the edge the smaller the pieces will be.

Step 5: Cut down through the cuts; again the closer you cut to the edge the smaller the pieces will be.

Picture of our chopped onion. Tidbit Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of chopped onions you would chop the onion and then measure a cup. If the recipe calls for one onion chopped you would chop the onion and use the entire onion. The recipe will usually say what size onion to use like small, medium or large.

Picture of our chopped onion. Tidbit Tip: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of chopped onions you would chop the onion and then measure a cup. If the recipe calls for one onion chopped you would chop the onion and use the entire onion. The recipe will usually say what size onion to use like small, medium or large.