Lazy Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad

One of my favorite lazy tricks is Tyson Grilled Chicken.  This recipe uses it and some Dole Fruit Bowls to transform a boring side salad into a restaurant-worthy main dish:  Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad.

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INGREDIENTS*:

• Bagged Salad (or chop your own)
  
• Chopped Tomatoes (I prefer Romas for small portions)
• Sliced Ripe Olives (I buy them pre-sliced)
  
• Sliced Mushrooms (available pre-sliced but uncut keeps fresh longer)
  
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I keep a bag on hand in the freezer)
  
• Tyson Grilled & Ready Diced Chicken Breast*
• Dole Mandarin Orange Fruit Bowls*, drained
• Chopped Pecans (or Walnuts)
• Salad Dressing (I recommend Raspberry Vinaigrette or Italian)
• Chips, Crackers, or Toasted Pita Bread (optional)
  

Makes variable servings in 5-10 minutes.

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* TIPS:

I keep Tyson Grilled & Ready Diced Chicken Breast on hand in the freezer.  The “Family Size” bags have a zip-lock so I just throw a couple hands-full into lots of recipes.  It’s sold in both the freezer and fridge sections.

I recommend Dole Mandarin Orange Fruit Bowls with No Sugar Added to keep the salad from being too sweet.  Plus, they’re healthier for you.

Most of these toppings are also used in my Mexican Mess / Micro Taco Salad recipe so this is an excellent follow-up meal with enough difference to help avoid redundancy.

These Chopped Pecans were left over from my Christmas Bread recipe, kept fresh in the freezer.

Tyson and Dole (and Fisher nuts) occasionally offer coupons online (check Coupons.com and the brand websites).  This time I got $1 off two 4-packs of Dole Fruit Bowls.

NOTE: I get no commission for my brand recommendations.
I just enjoy passing along useful info.

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Ingredients

Salad and Toppings

PREPARE:

1. Place bagged salad in a bowl (leave room for all the toppings).
2. Add tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese.
3. Add chicken (thawed in refrigerator or microwaved for 1-2 min., perhaps cut into even smaller pieces).
4. Decorate with Mandarin oranges and sprinkle with pecans.
5. Top with salad dressing of choice.

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SERVE & EAT:

I recommend serving Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad with crackers or chips — or maybe even toasted pita bread (something crunchy to contrast the soft salad).

If you have an “On the Side” member of the family, just serve the chicken and fruit cup beside the salad — that way everyone’s happy!

Ready to Serve

“On the Side” Option

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LATER:

Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad is a fresh dish and not really suited to leftovers.  The toppings store pretty well so just make a new salad later.

Many of the chopped ingredients are also used in my Summer Salad / Pasta Primavera, Quesadillas, and Mexican Mess / Micro Taco Salad recipes so these are excellent follow-up meals with enough difference to avoid redundancy.

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RANDOM ASIDE:

Beware of members of your own live studio audience, scheming to snag a certain fragrant poultry ingredient.  My vulture’s name is Butch, a 10-yr-old tabby topping 17 lbs.!

As a matter of fact, he’s right now pretending to sleep on my mouse pad, nearly preventing any mousing in an attempt to get my attention.  Mr. Jealous-Bones always has to be the center of attention.  *sigh*  He’s a pest … but he’s MY pest.  ( :^Þ)