Contest Winning Summer Chicken Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, 1 tablespoon salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
• Toss together the chicken, celery, shallot, dill and parsley in a large bowl.
• Add the dressing to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight to meld flavors. Garnish with chives.
• Put the parsley, thyme, onion, carrot, celery and chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Cover with the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and cover. Poach the chicken until firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover and cool the chicken in the liquid for 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and reserve the liquid. Bone and skin the chicken and roughly chop the meat into about 1/2-inch pieces. Discard the bones and skin.
• Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for later use. Remove any fat from the surface of the broth before using.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken in a Dutch oven and cover with water; add bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken and cut into 1/2-in. cubes; place in a large bowl. Stir in the next 11 ingredients. , Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish (dish will be full). Sprinkle with cheese and french-fried onions. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 30 minutes. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Steps:

• For the salad: Put the chicken breasts into a large plastic storage bag. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten to 1/4-inch uniform thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat a grill and drizzle with the olive oil. Grill the chicken on both sides until done, about 7 minutes per side. (Rotate halfway during grilling each side to ensure pretty grill marks.) Set aside to cool.
• Grill the corn for a few minutes, until still crunchy but colored. With a very sharp knife, shave the kernels off each corn cob. Combine with the dill, celery and onions in a large bowl. Set aside.
• For the dressing: Mix together the feta, half-and-half, mayonnaise and sour cream in a bowl. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Stir, and then taste. Add more salt if necessary; do not undersalt!
• Slice the chicken on the bias to create flat, randomly shaped pieces. Throw into the bowl with the celery, onions and corn. Stir to combine. Pour half of the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently. Add more as desired, but don't overcoat the salad; it should be light! At the end, toss in the blueberries to lightly coat them in the dressing.
• Spoon the salad into butter lettuce cups and then sprinkle individual helpings with feta and extra dill.

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the first five ingredients until blended. Add chicken, grapes, mango and watermelon; toss gently to combine., Divide lettuce among four plates; top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with pistachios.

Steps:

• Choose a heavy pot or Dutch oven with a tightfitting lid. It should be large enough to hold the chicken snugly, but not much bigger. Fill pot about 2/3 full with cold water, but don't put the chicken in yet. Boil some extra water in a teakettle.
• Add scallions and peppercorns to water, cover and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat and slip chicken pieces into the hot water. If needed, add boiling water from the kettle to cover chicken with water by 2 inches. Replace the lid and let chicken rest in the hot water for about 2 hours. Do not turn the flame back on: The pot will retain enough heat to cook chicken thoroughly and safely. (To test, cut into 1 piece of chicken and check the meat near the bone. If it is still pink, return the pot to low heat, bring the water to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes more.)
• Lift chicken out of the pot. Remove and discard bones, skin and fat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then cut or shred into small bite-size pieces and transfer to a bowl. (Meanwhile, simmer cooking liquid until tasty, strain and refrigerate or freeze to use as chicken stock.)
• In a bowl, whisk together juice of 1/2 lemon, mayonnaise and sour cream. If using, whisk in mustard or brine. Taste and adjust the seasonings and thickness to your liking. Pour over chicken, scraping the bowl clean with a rubber spatula.
• Add celery, onion if using, nuts, herbs and salt and pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with herbs before serving.