Layered Chicken Salad with Blue
Cheese and Toasted Georgia Pecans

Slices of red and yellow tomato between layers of nut-and-cheese filled chicken salad make for a delicious and decorative presentation.

Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min | Yield: 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)

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into 2 inch chunks.
2. Heat water to boiling. Add salt. Stir chicken into boiling water, immediately reduce to just below a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let chicken stand in cooking water 5 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse chicken under cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry.
5. By hand, shred chicken into bite-size pieces and place in mixing bowl.
6. Add the pecans, celery, onion, carrot, blue cheese dressing, and vinegar. Mix until well combined.
7. 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.

Notes

To make a neat column of stacked salad ingredients like chefs do, layer the chicken salad and tomato slices inside a lightly-oiled 3inch metal ring, made from an empty, clean tuna fish can. After layering the mixture, slowly pull off the can and – voila – the layers will be trim and intact.

Nutrition

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

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Georgia Pecan Commission