Chicken Salad Sandwiches

WOW!  I can't believe I'm actually back blogging!  My life has been consumed with kids activities...mainly Baseball.  We entered the All-Star season right before school got out, then finished the last tournament of the season this week!  It's been a SUPER busy summer and actually hasn't felt much like summer at all.  We're home now...no more baseball scrimmages, baseball practice, baseball tournaments, washing and scrubbing baseball pants...until the Fall.  So for now, we will sleep in, enjoy playing in the backyard, peaceful evenings at home, home-made dinners, and maybe I'll get a chance to do some reading.  Simple things that make summer feel like summer.  

This sandwich is one of those things that I enjoy so much!  I love chicken salad, but I'm a little picky when it comes to texture...I'm not a fan of super creamy chicken salad.  This particular recipe was great...not too creamy, nice and chunky, with a lot of different textures.   Make this in the morning and then serve for lunch or even dinner with a pasta salad.  Perfect for the summer months when you don't feel like spending all evening in the kitchen!  

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES  {recipe adapted from Cooking Classy}

INGREDIENTS: {makes about 3-4 sandwiches}

• 3 bone-in chicken breast halves, roasted and cut in chunks {about 3 cups chicken}
• 2-3 celery ribs, diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped {I used dried cherries}
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped {you could use walnuts or cashews too}
• 1/2 cup mayonaise 
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• romaine lettuce
• sliced bread or croissants 

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Rub chicken breast halves with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place in roasting pan and bake for 1 hour.  Turn oven off, cover chicken with foil and leave in oven for another 20 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let chicken cool before you cut in chunks.  

In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken chunks, celery, cranberries, and toasted pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, onion powder, and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir to combine.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for a couple of hours, or until ready to use.

Pile on thick pieces of bread, add your lettuce, and you have a super delicious lunch or an easy dinner!