Doug Smith: Summer Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Elegant as it is simple - the perfect dish to throw together...

Summer Rotisserie Chicken Salad

story and recipe by Doug Smith

Get more from Doug Smith by following him on Facebook and Instagram at "Doug the Food Guy".

You've exhausted the peanut butter and jelly routine and have rolled your final turkey and cheese wrap. Now what? When it comes to packing your and your kids' lunchboxes, variety is key; after all, no child or adult looks forward to eating the same lunch day after day, so it's important to keep the midday meal both interesting and easy to eat. Let’s keep it as kid-friendly and adult as we can. Your mornings may go more smoothly than mine, but in order to get everything done and out the door on time I need to have a bunch of lunch staples on hand. Sometimes those supplies come right from last night’s dinner. Make it even easier on yourself by preparing the lunches as you clean up after dinner, while everything’s still out and the creative juices are flowing. There’s nothing wrong with serving leftovers but I suggest changing it a little so that it feels fresh and new. Any time we serve rolls or crusted bread, I always use the extras for sandwiches the next day. If the slices are big, you can cut them down into smaller pieces and pack two or three sandwiches. Soup, stew, or almost any leftover can go into a store-bought pie crust or puff pastry and become a tiny pot pie, perfect for lunch even if served at room temperature. Another great mix-it-up idea is to make quesadillas. I like to use flour tortillas stuffed with shredded cheese, sliced ham or turkey and a few veggies like shredded carrots then add a couple of pieces of baby spinach. Now you have a well-balanced delicious lunch fit for a king. Another easy and delicious lunch is leftover rotisserie chicken. You can simply pull the chicken and add a little BBQ sauce to make a tasty sandwich or if you’re wanting to step it up a notch make chicken salad. This just might be my favorite sandwich of all time, rotisserie chicken salad with just a little mayo. Leftover Rotisserie chicken equals heaven on bread. SUMMER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken 3/4 to 1 cup mayo 1 diced Granny Smith Apple A drizzle of local honey Sprinkle with celery seed Salt and pepper to taste Pecan (optional)

Method:

Shred chicken into small pieces. Mix in mayo and diced apple. Fold in the honey and spices to your liking. Finish off with pecans, if you like.