Cooking with Chef Jo: My Infamous Chicken Salad Recipe

This begins a series of my recipes for, "It's Too Hot to Cook!" Summer friendly recipes. ' Cause here about, the daytime temperatures are in the 90s

When I was working as a cook at my local hospital, I gained the reputation of having the best chicken salad in town. Whether you liked your chicken salad smooth or chunky, they loved my recipe. I used to make 10 lbs of it twice a week.These same customers followed me to my own restaurant years later just to order my chicken salad! It was the ultimate compliment to me. They begged for decades for the recipe to no avail. I've pared the recipe down to 2 cups worth and offer store substitutions as usual.

Now I'm sharing it with you, but it is copyrighted.

Jo's Infamous Chicken Salad 
 1/2 pint charcoal cooked canned chicken*
1/2 pint chicken canned in own juice
Substitute 1 breast and 1 thigh of grilled and poached chicken (reserve liquid for each)
1 small onion, minced
3 ribs celery, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise, I make my own but Kraft will do
1/4 cup pickle relish *
2 eggs, hard boiled and minced
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp Jo's seasoning salt or Morton's Natural Seasoning Salt, to taste*

Notes-
*I season my grilled chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder before I grilled and canned it. It was grilled just enough to lightly color the outside before "raw" packing it into my jars and canning it.
*I use my zucchini bread and butter relish.
* Link to my seasoning salt recipe

Putting it all together

• Cube grilled chicken into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes removing any fat you see. Set aside
• Remove any fat you can see on the poached chicken, cut into chunks.
• Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill weed in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the dill weed rehydrate.
• In a food processor, add poached chicken, relish, celery, onion, and eggs, 
• Add mayonnaise mixture.
• Pulse until smooth and creamy. If mixture seems dry, add reserved liquid.
• Stir in diced grilled chicken.
• Refrigerator for an hour before service to allow flavors to meld and get happy.

Serving Suggestions
I'll scoop 4 ozs on top of a fresh green salad, serve it on large buttery

croissants, as part of a chicken salad melt, I've stirred it into pasta salads, or just plain bread. Choose your toppings lettuce, tomato slices, did someone say cheese? Oh yeah! Now, you are talking. Make mine Pepperjack, please.Or, your favorite dill pickles. Chips or crackers is optional.

Enjoy this yummy for your tummy.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo