Grilled Chicken Salad served on croissants, even lettuce leaves or endive boats, is the perfect way to have something a little different for hot summer days.
Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
When you’re planning your outdoor summer cookouts there are a few things to keep in mind. One of them would be to make sure to keep the cold things cold and the hot things hot. The hot part often isn’t too difficult, but how do you keep the potato salad and other things cold?
I have a couple ways you can do that.
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First, place your potato salad, or other cold food, in the dish that you are going to serve it in. Then, take a bowl that is slightly larger and layer some ice in the bottom of it. Rest the serving bowl in the ice and tadaa! Your dish is nice and chilly.
If you have several dishes that need to stay cold, you can get a large baking pan and fill it with ice. Then you can nest two or three dishes in the ice together.
Don’t have an extra dish? Or don’t want the extra dish or baking pan to show? There’s another way to “sneakily” keep your dish cool.
On the table where you are going to set up your food spread, designate a particular area for the cold dishes. Go into your pantry and get several large zip-closed storage bags (gallon or 2-gallon sized). Fill them with ice. I recommend double bagging these to make sure there are no leaks.
Go to your serving table and lay the bags of ice down where you are going to have the cold food. Lay your table cloth across the table, covering the bags of ice. Now grab your cold dishes and gently nestle them down into the bags of ice.
It looks like you have elevated the dishes to show them off and make the table look pretty, but really you are keeping the food cold with those hidden bags of ice.
Whichever method you use to keep your cold dishes cold, always make certain to monitor them and make sure the ice hasn’t completely melted and that the food is staying cold. The last thing that you want is for your celebration to turn into a disaster!
When you invite your guests over for that summer cookout, believe it or not, there are people who don’t care for burgers, bratwurst, or barbecued things. That’s okay! Today, I am sharing a recipe for a light and delicious summery sandwich that still puts that grill to good use and will make your guests happy as well.
To begin, fillet 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half. Lightly coat both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the chicken fillets on the grill for just a few minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through.
When the chicken is cooked set it in a dish and let it cool to room temperature.
Dice the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Set that aside for now.
Finely mince a shallot.
Finely dice 2 stalks of celery.
Finely chop 1/2 cup of fresh parsley and about 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of olive oil mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground tri-colored pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 3 tablespoon of whole grain Dijon mustard, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the chopped herbs, celery, and shallot. Stir it all together.
Add in your diced chicken and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Serve your chicken salad with croissants, lettuce, or endive leaves – whichever you prefer.
Enjoy!
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Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 shallots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/2 c fresh parsley
- 1/3 c fresh cilantro
- 1 c mayonnaise, I use homemade or Primal Kitchen brand
- 2 Tb milk
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground tri-colored pepper, or black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 Tb whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- To begin, fillet 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half. Lightly coat both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt & freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook the chicken fillets on the grill for just a few minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through.
- When the chicken is cooked set it in a dish and let it cool to room temperature.
- Dice the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Set that aside for now.
- Finely mince the shallot.
- Finely dice the celery.
- Finely chop the parsley and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil mayonnaise, milk, tri-colored pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, whole grain Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper along with the chopped herbs, celery, and shallot. Stir it all together.
- Add in your diced chicken and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Serve your chicken salad with croissants, lettuce, or endive leaves – whichever you prefer.Enjoy!
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
I love that you used grilled chicken in this salad! So flavorful!
Chicken salad and croissants, now that is my kind of summer comfort food!
Oh yum! Grilled chicken in a chicken salad is such a great idea..I bet it adds amazing flavor.
This is such a good idea! Even if I don’t eat chicken, I still think it sounds delicious!
Grilled Chicken! Can’t wait to make this chicken salad; love cilantro, too.
(Beautiful photography)
Totally agree with you that grilled chicken makes the BEST chicken salad! Wonderful post today.
Thank you Dorothy!
I love the use of cilantro as the herb of choice in your chicken salad. Also the grilling makes the chicken sing in a cold salad. BEAUTIFUL dish and photography! YUM!
I must try this salad with leftover grilled chicken. I bet it’s divine.
I love your salad! It looks so light and I love that you served it with croissants.
This is an awesome way to make chicken salad sandwiches! WHY have I never thought to grill the chicken?
I have to admit I’ve never thought to grill chicken to make chicken salad until now. Great idea!