Can a girl have too many chicken salad recipes? According to my recipe box, probably not! Especially when one of them transitions out of the dog days of summer into crisp, cool fall as well as this one does. After all, nothing says fall to us Northerners quite like wild rice!
Wild Rice Chicken Salad
Here’s one of my favorite chicken salads, this one reminiscent of the famous Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice Casserole. Think of this salad not only as a blend of tastes but of textures.
Nutty, chewy wild rice, crisp and cool sweet grapes, crisp and cool water chestnuts and crunchy cashews. Mixed altogether with a gorgeous creamy dressing, you have a hearty meal. Add a slice or two of fruit (melon is particularly good with it) maybe a dinner roll and you’ve got sumpin’ good going on.
Wild Rice Chicken Salad
I wish I would think to make chicken salad more often – and when I do make it, I usually cook a chicken meal earlier in the week and make sure there’s a little extra to use for chicken salad, rather than starting from scratch. Believe me, there won’t be any complaints about left-overs. Just let it be out little secret.
Since wild rice can take a long time to cook up, another little trick is to make the whole package (or as much as you’re comfortable making!) and divvy it to freeze – it keeps well for months and it will be at the ready for this dish or others – it works beautifully if you want to gussy up a vegetable side for dinner and will save you from buying the expensive “medleys” from the freezer section.
Wild Rice Chicken Salad
Wild Rice Chicken Salad
Salad:
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (about 12 ounces)
- about 3 1/2 cups cooked wild rice (1 cup raw)
- 8 ounces sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed (1 small can)
- 1/2 pound red grapes, about 1/2 cup sliced
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions (3 to 4)
- 1/2 cup cashews
Dressing:
- 2/3 cup of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (as desired)
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together dressing ingredients in another, smaller bowl. Taste and adjust if desired. Toss together with salad ingredients.
If not serving immediately, add cashews just before serving.
From the kitchen of http://www.frugalhausfrau.com
Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:
- Read Strategies Applied for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving money/time and managing this recipe.
- Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.
- Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
- Use a coupon matching site! One of my favorites in my area is Pocket Your Dollars, but every store has a group of enthusiastic Coupon Matchers. Do not discount the savings! I check their site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.
Takes a long time to cook, cook & portion
I’ll be bringing this little recipe to Fiesta Friday 89 and to Throwback Thursday!
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