Layered Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese & Toasted Georgia Pecans

  • Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients

    • 1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
    • 1 quart water
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2/3 cup toasted Georgia pecan halves, chopped
    • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
    • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
    • 1/3 cup grated carrot
    • 1/2 cup prepared blue cheese dressing
    • 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
    • 8 large slices fresh tomato, preferably yellow and red
    • Parsley sprigs for garnish (optional)
    • Georgia pecan halves for garnish (optional)

Directions

Cut chicken into 2-inch chunks. Heat water to boiling. Add salt. Stir chicken into boiling water, immediately reduce to just below a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken stand in cooking water 5 minutes. Drain and rinse chicken under cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry.

By hand, shred chicken into bite-size pieces and place in mixing bowl. Add the pecans, celery, onion, carrot, blue cheese dressing, and vinegar. Mix until well combined.

To serve, mound a scant 1/2 cup chicken salad in center of each serving plate and spread slightly to flatten to a round the same width as tomato. Top with a slice of red tomato. Mound another scant 1/2 cup salad mixture on top and arrange a yellow tomato slice on top. Garnish, if desired, with parsley sprig and pecan; serve.

Nutrition information per serving – calories: 411; protein: 33g; carbs: 8g; saturated fat: 5g; monounsaturated: 13g; polyunsaturated fat: 6g; cholesterol: 91 mg; fiber: 2g; sodium: 748 mg