quote:Originally posted by fastfood
Why make your own? Try Arby's ©Chicken Salad Sandwhich with pecans.It has mayo,apples,pecans,diced grilled chicken,cucumbers, and its damn tasty.
I do an “eyeball” kind of imitation Arby's Chicken Salad sandwich recipe that goes lightening fast at all the church things I go to. In fact, I a making three huge platters for this Sunday night!
I use equal amounts of:
1) Seedless Red Globe Grapes (Cut in half or quarters if you prefer smaller pieces)
2) Apples (Chopped in medium sized pieces. Just don’t make them so small that they disintegrate when stirred into the salad!)
3) Chicken cubes or small shreds (I have used grilled, but I like to cook it in a crock pot until it falls off the bone. Lightly spiced as it cooks with chicken bullion, garlic powder – not garlic salt – and a bit of freshly ground pepper)
4) To this mix add finely chopped walnuts or pecans, your preference. Add an amount you like. When I add 2 cups each of the first three ingredients I will add at least 1 cup of chopped nuts. You may prefer more or less – just eyeball it!
5) Stir this all together with Mayo or miracle whip until it is as moist as you like. I like mine very moist so that it is spreadable, not gloppy. I use Mayo – Hellmann’s or a good generic.
This is the basic mix. To this you can “customize” it with what you have on hand, and to your personal taste. Things I have used are:
1) Chopped Cucumber. ( Remove the seeds and just use the solid part. I give the seed to my guinea pigs!)
2) Chopped Celery. (Smaller pieces, not huge chunks.)
3) Mustard (I prefer brown)
4) Horseradish ( I usually add about a tablespoon of this)
5) Wasabi (Or Wasabi mayo is excellent too!)
6) Chopped onion ( my kids don’t like onion, so I chop I t very small and hide it. When I make it for a party I will add about a half cup to the proportions listed above)
7) Chicken Fajita seasoning mix (adds such a nice flavor!)
8) Sour cream (adds a bit of tangyness)
9) Hard boiled eggs (chopped. I rarely use this as I like eggs in an egg salad instead)
10) Raisins ( again, rarely used as I prefer it in other salads and want this one to remain “different”)
11) Chopped Pickles (Rarely used for the same reason listed in #10)
Put the filling in a thick multi grain bread, like Arby’s uses. You can also use pita, tortillas, or my favorite – cream puff shells. For a party small, about XL egg sized, shells filled with chicken salad are a real hit! I put a frilly toothpick in each one and keep them on ice till they are put out, They never last long enough to worry about them getting too warm.
Thelupuslady.com’s Usual Arby’s Chicken Salad Sandwich Mix:
2 Cups chopped apples
2 Cups cut red globe grapes
2 Cups chicken cubes or shreds
1 Cup finely chopped walnuts
1 Cup (about) Mayo
½ Cup (about) Sour cream
½ Cup finely chopped onion
Salt
Pepper (freshly ground!)
1 Tablespoon (about) Chicken Fajita seasoning mix
Mix all together and serve in individual sized cream puff shells, or on a whole grain bread, pita, or tortilla.
NOTE: I always use freshly ground pepper. I think it adds a flavor that pre-ground pepper just can not offer. At your local grocery store, even in a tiny town like mine, you can find peppers offered in small grinders for less than two dollars. They have white (which is spicy and is best in white or light colored foods), Black, and multi colored. The multi colored even has pink and green peppercorns in it. A fantastic way to add more varied flavors without spending a fortune or risking ruining a nice dish! Experiment and find a blend you love! I have used all of these in this recipe – and all are wonderful!