Chicken Cranberry Salad
March 31, 2008
Written by: Katie
So it’s called Chicken Cranberry Salad but I used turkey. You can be mad if you want but that is what I had on hand. And turkey is cheaper than chicken and well, one chicken doesn’t cut it for our family. Here we go.
I strongly suggest you buy pecans that are in a sealed bag and still full. Or just remember to pose the pecans with the other ingredients before you begin to cook. 
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
First step: Get out your nifty double bladed scissors and chop that chicken/turkey into oblivion. Not really oblivion because we are not looking to make turkey paste but chicken salad. I’m going to use the words turkey and chicken interchangeably. Don’t panic. Aren’t double bladed scissors a nifty gadget?
And celery. 1.5 cups. I’m not a huge celery lover but I promise you want this salad to have it.
In goes the yummy goodness. And if you happen to put in 2 cups instead of 1.5 the world won’t come to an end.
And paprika. Now I added these ingredients all in the wrong order. Don’t do like I did. Please see the notes below and just admire the pretty pictures all the while knowing that if you follow them for the details your life will be significantly more difficult and your arm will be very sore. Trust me. Isn’t paprika a pretty shade of brown/red?
These are green onions. 2 green onions. Clearly, I’ve doubled the recipe.
And I must really like green onions.
Because I took 3 pictures of them.
I adore dried cranberries.
But I only have two pictures of them. How’s that work? 1.5 cups please.
Bell peppers. So weird, you can’t even taste them in the salad. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I have seemingly exceeded the 1 cup mark on my measuring cup. There is likely a deep seated reason why I find it so hard to conform.
I’m sure they add something yummy so please do not omit the bell peppers.
Pecans are fabulous. I remember our neighbors had a pecan tree and we kids would crack and eat ourselves sick. I want a pecan tree.
Now this salad is starting to look good. Ignore the mess in the background. Everyone cooks with clutter, right?
And the mayo. I am ashamed to admit that I use mayo that has soybean oil but I am proud to say it is not Miracle Whip. Did you know that in the west Hellmann’s is called Best Foods. Go figure.
Now this is the part where I must explain and warn. Please, please, please, do not add the ingredients in the order in which I have shown you. If you follow in my folly filled footsteps (alliteration, that’s school) you can expect the same results as me which include a strained bicep, mayo on your shirt and extreme disappointment in yourself for being such a doof. We don’t want your self esteem to suffer in the way mine has so I strongly urge you to take this tip. Add the ingredients in backward fashion. Ya, like start with the mayo, then the paprika and smaller items first then graduate to the chicken/turkey. I guarantee you’ll be so happy, maybe even ecstatic, if you do. You’ll want to give me a kiss. If you don’t follow my advice I’ll know because your right arm will become flaccid from over exertion and you’ll be unable to lift your debit card to pay at Starbucks.
Here is the final product. I was taking this to an Easter potluck, hence the aluminum pan. Did I tell you everyone raved? Well they did. At least the ones I hounded for an opinion. They all assured me that it was fabulous.
Luscious close up.
Don’t you hate it when people do this to you right before bed? I’m sorry.
Not really.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Looks very very yummy…….and no icky liver!!
March 31st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Yum-O! I’m in! We’re trying that. But forget the green pepper. Green bell peppers are worthless. You simply must have red, orange, or yellow. Yellow peppers would have been much prettier, so I’ll go with that. :)
My sister has a pecan tree. You described the Clark kids’ last fall! Nuts can be added to almost everything with good results IMO.
April 1st, 2008 at 5:10 am
TAG — you are IT!!
Chautona tagged me… I figured - since you were here friend… I’d tag YOU! °Ü°
Aren’t you Thrilled!!??!!
http://gabbygwenhwyfar.blogspot.com/2008/04/ive-been-tagged-no-not-lazer-tagged.html
April 1st, 2008 at 5:42 am
Yummy! Can’t go wrong with cranberry and turkey, imo.
April 1st, 2008 at 6:32 am
Yum-O!
This is very similar to how I make chicken salad… but sometimes I add eggs. mmm.
Have a great day!
Love,
Chas
April 1st, 2008 at 6:46 am
I LOVE chicken salad and that looks wonderful! (And no liver - Yeah!) ;-)
Sorry I didn’t get a chance to post on the other entry about the magnesium/gluten free. I’m still reading the book you recommended. It is very interesting…and boy…it really gets me to thinking if this IS something vaccine related. (?)
Unfortunately we have (up to this point) full vaxed our kids on the APA’s schedule (lots of shots at once.) If only I had known then what I know now….. :-(
The diet implication are very interesting. It definitely gives us something to think about and to work with!
Thanks for your suggestions,
Michelle
April 1st, 2008 at 6:47 am
Looks scrumptious! I am so glad you used Hellman’s, if it had been Miracle Whip…..you would have lost ALL credibility!
I just added a turkey breast to my shopping list and dried cranberries.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:14 am
Oh, that looks divine! We always have to have Miricle Whip as well as mayo on hand here because Mark loves MW. Blech. Oh well. Sue me. I would definitely use mayo for this stuff though. Yummy!
April 1st, 2008 at 7:31 am
UH…what’s wrong with Miracle Whip? But the chicken (or turkey) salad looks yummy - but how do I get my kids to eat something like that? I’d be eating it for days if I made some.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:35 am
Hey! This is the recipe I use, though I usually double the mayo. I found it here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Holiday-Chicken-Salad/Detail.aspx
April 1st, 2008 at 8:12 am
I have to make this tonight..looks yum
April 1st, 2008 at 8:24 am
Oh, that looks so good! I think that I’m going to have to make it very soon! Will have to use walnuts though, as I don’t have any pecans, and I have about 30 pounds of unshelled (with the shells on, is that shelled, or unshelled?…..I never know!) walnuts in the freezer. That will make a WONDERFUL springtime dinner served on a bed of baby greens from the garden! Oooooh, yummy!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am
That does look so good! We use Best Foods mayo. The label looks exactly the same. How funny!
I will definitely have to try your recipe! Chicken salad sandwiches are something we eat regularly for our “beach day” lunches. I will have to try it with turkey! Yum!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:46 am
YUMMO that looks so good! I think I will have to make that…
April 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am
That looks so wonderful! I just pulled chicken out for dinner. We don’t have all the ingredients, but I’m going to call dh and see if he can grab the cranberries/green pepper.
Is this allowed on our gluten free trial? Better check before I go and make something we aren’t supposed to eat right now!
I was raised on Best Foods and thought it quite funny to find Hellmans when we moved out here to GA. It’s the only mayo we use. I’m going to try my hand at homemade today though…we shall see.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:42 am
Hhmmm, that does look good. What is so bad about Miracle whip? Guess I should look on the label first. Anybody have a homemade reciepe for mayo? My grammy used to have one but, she is not living anymore.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
MMMM… looks good. You inspired me to make a chicken salad today. I made homemade mayo to mix it up with and dumped it on whole romaine leaves. It was yummy! Thanks for the inspiration. :)
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
So…I’m still wondering what’s wrong with Miracle Whip? I’m planning to make this for my church homecoming April 6th. I can’t wait, but I’m really wanting to use Miracle Whip instead of Hellman’s.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I made this tonight with chicken, minus the green onions and we all loved it! Except for my picky eater who would really rather starve than eat what he has in his mind not to. Too bad for him.
Thanks Katie for sharing the recipe.
Emily
April 5th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
OK I just made this, and had to take a small bowl to try. YUMMY! I have it in a Tupperware to take to church tomorrow for homecoming. I must stay out of it. I must stay out of it. I must stay out of it!
Thanks for the recipe, Katie, and the photos that made it look so appetizing that I simply HAD to try it! I don’t even LIKE green onions. I did omit the nuts, because of taking it to church, because some people might be allergic. I don’t like cranberries either. But I love this!