The holiday season has started, and one of the best parts of this season is all the amazing and delicious dishes we get to enjoy with our loved ones. If you are looking for a tasty, flavorful, and simple to make a chicken salad to serve during the cold days of winter, look no more. This cranberry chicken salad is a guaranteed holiday hit, and taking the time to try it is definitely worth it. This salad is light and creamy, and it is packed with tender chicken, chewy tart dried cranberries, salty roasted nuts, celery, and scallions. Besides being a really tasty dish, it is also quite healthy and simple to prepare.
What You Can Add to Cranberry Chicken Salad
This chicken salad comes with a lot of texture and flavor, as it is light and creamy, and is excellent for any holiday dinner. The main ingredients we should add include cooked and diced chicken, dried cranberries, toasted nuts, celery, and a creamy dressing based on mayonnaise. However, there are other ingredients we can add to customize this delicious recipe. These ingredients include diced apple, diced jalapeno, raisins, red onion, seasonings like allspice, cinnamon, or poppy seeds, as well as a wide variety of nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, and even pistachios.
Remember Not to Freeze Cranberry Chicken Salad
When we prepare cranberry chicken salad, we need to be mindful of the amount of salad we’ll cook. When we store it properly, this salad can last between 3 and 4 days in the fridge. However, we shouldn’t freeze it, because the mayonnaise will separate when it is defrosted. One thing we could do is prepare the ingredients in advance, poaching the chicken breasts, dicing them, and freezing the cooked chicken. Just try not to freeze any of the other ingredients, or the result will not be as tasty as it can.
How You Can Serve Cranberry Chicken Salad
Now, one of the best parts of this cranberry chicken salad is that it is not only tasty and simple to prepare, but also quite versatile. We can serve it many different ways, such as the main meal, a side salad, and a lettuce wrap. As if it were not enough, we can also serve this salad as an appetizer, as a sandwich filler, and also as a healthy and tasty snack.
Side Dishes to Complement Cranberry Chicken Salad
If we decide to serve this chicken salad as a main meal, we will need to look for the best side dishes to complement it. The ones that we recommend include fresh fruit, fresh bread like rolls, baguette, and artisan bread. We can also serve cranberry chicken salad with chips, with French fries and sweet potato fries, and green salad. Wild or brown rice, coleslaw, roasted or steamed vegetables, and soup can also make delicious side dishes alternatives.