Azra and I met Chris for lunch at Panera last week. I wasn't too hungry, so I was just going to get a bagel until I saw the poster for this:
Photo Courtesy Panera Bread
It is the Napa Almond Chicken Salad and is made with "pepper-mustard chicken, fresh celery, seedless grapes, almonds & special dressing." It was absolutely fantastic and I knew that it was something that I'd love to have all of the time, just not for the $6.00 price tag. So I thought, why not make it at home? Now I'm no Paula Deen, but I figured that I could handle a chicken salad. All of the ingredients except the dressing are things that I usually have on hand, so I could justify spending the $5.00 on a really good dressing since I'd be saving so much by eating it at home. I bought Marzetti poppyseed dressing (the stuff found in the produce section by the pre-packaged lettuce) because it's light, creamy and gives a subtle flavor similar to their "special dressing."
Des Moines Almond Chicken Salad
(clever, I know)
2 chicken breast
2 celery stalks, chopped
red grapes, halved
sliced almonds
Marzetti Poppyseed dressing
rosemary
salt & pepper
(Forewarning: My directions lose points for lack of detail.)
Throw some rosemary, salt and pepper into a pot. Add the chicken breast and fill with water until it just covers the chicken. Cover and place over high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the baby stops demanding your attention. Remove from heat and let cool during the diaper change. Shred the chicken and place in a mixing bowl. Pour a good amount of dressing into the bowl, then add the grapes, celery and almonds. Mix well and add more dressing if needed. Place over some yummy bread or a thin bun. Enjoy and go back for seconds!