Before becoming a parent, it’s quite easy to say, “My kids are going to eat what I make for dinner, and that’s all that will be offered.” Once you become a parent, you realize that reality looks a little different in practice. I do feed my toddler the same meal that my husband and I have for dinner, and most nights, he eats some, most, or all of his plate. But also most nights, he gets hungry before bed again and requires another bite of something. If he’s already tried what we had for supper that night, I’m not going to send him to bed hungry if he doesn’t want to eat it again. Heck, if I want a pre-bedtime snack, I’m usually not going back to what I had for dinner, either. It’s for times like these that toddler parents must have a few “sure thing” meals and snacks in the kitchen. For us, there’s always yogurt, berries, bananas, and peanut butter, which can be mixed and matched with each other. But another no-cook favorite of my son (and myself) that’s even more filling is chicken salad. My Go-To Chicken Salad “Recipe” My chicken salad “recipe” is more of a formula. There are no measuring cups involved. It’s a “measure-with-your-heart” recipe, if you will. I don’t have much spare time on my hands, so my chicken salad is always going to start with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I shred up the whole chicken as my dog drools by my side, and add it to a big bowl. Next, I add in sliced or chopped celery, eyeballing a ratio that feels appropriate with the amount of chicken in the bowl. Now don’t clutch your pearls, but for my chicken salad mixture, I like to do a combo of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Not only does Greek yogurt lighten it up a bit and add protein, but it has a nice tangy flavor that mayo alone can’t provide. The only other solid I add to my bowl is chopped Wickles (and yes, only Wickles, not any-old-pickle). I also toss in some of the juice from the Wickles jar and a bit of spicy brown mustard. For seasonings, I don’t make many dishes without salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. For chicken salad, I usually swap table salt for celery salt and add in some Beau Monde as well. But the surprise seasoning that makes this chicken salad stand out from the rest? Curry powder. Just like in Senior Travel and Culture Editor Tara Massouleh McCay’s mom’s recipe, curry powder punches up the flavor and adds a beautiful color to a dish that can often taste and look bland without it. Then, it’s a taste-as-you-go experience, adding a splash of Wickles juice here or another dash of curry powder there until I’ve reached my desired consistency and flavor. To Review: One store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded Mayonnaise (I’m a Duke’s loyalist) Plain Greek yogurt Thinly sliced or chopped celery Chopped Wickles Wickles Juice Spicy brown mustard (or whatever mustard you like best) Celery salt (or table salt) Pepper Garlic powder Onion powder Beau Monde Seasoning (here’s how to make your own if you can’t find it at the store) Curry powder Measure all the ingredients with your heart and stir together, tasting as you go. Why I Love This Recipe.
https://www.southernliving.com/curry-chicken-salad-review-11852302
