Loaded Chicken Salad Jars

A delicious, nutrient-packed on-the-go lunch!

I love a good chicken salad! Especially on a sandwich--yum. With a busy schedule, it can be hard to find time to prepare your lunches. It's also difficult to make a sandwich ahead of time when it comes to chicken salad because the bread can definitely get soggy after a few hours! Here is my simple solution--chicken salad mason jars.

If you enjoy chicken salad and quick, easy, and convenient meals you can prep ahead of time--this one is for you! I "load up" the chicken salad in the jar to add extra nutrients, protein, and of course, flavor.

Tip: Pick and choose the ingredients you like. Switch it up from jar to jar, it will taste like a different salad every time!

Makes ~6 servings

Base Salad Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

• 3-4 stalks fresh celery

• 3/4 c chopped pecans

• 1 to 1 1/2 c red/green grapes

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3/4 c lite mayonnaise

• 3/4 c lite sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (I use Greek yogurt from extra protein)

• Fresh juice of 1 lemon

• 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar (it depends how sweet you like your dressing)

• 1/2 tsp dill

• 3/4 tsp dried chopped onion or onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the base salad ingredients in a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, combine dressing ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad. It may be helpful to add a little bit at a time and mix. Depending on your preference, you may not want to add all of the dressing!

4. Divide your chicken salad into 6 mason jars. I used pint-sized jars. It is easier to use wide-mouth. *Note: if you want to add a lot of toppings to your salad, I suggest using larger jars--either 24 or 32oz.

5. Add your optional ingredients in layers over the chicken salad. See below for topping ideas.

Optional Toppings to Make a "Loaded" Chicken Salad:

• Chopped salad greens

• Diced red onions

• Slivered almonds

• Green onions

• Dried cranberries

• Shredded carrots

• Diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

• Sliced cucumbers

• Pepitas

• Sunflower seeds

• Apple slices

Enjoy!

An MM Wellness Original Recipe