Nutty Pesto Chicken Salad

Years ago, before I ever had a garden of my own, my parents came for visits when we lived in Scottsdale, Arizona. Rather than flying, they usually drove down from Vancouver, Washington, and would bring along a full ice chest and other provisions for lunch on the road. Packed in the ice chest was usually a container or two of mom’s pesto, which she would leave for us when they returned home.

One time when I made my usual (but good) chicken salad, I thought I’d add what was left of the pesto, and I was hooked from then on. At the time, I was the Restaurant Manager at a nice resort in Scottsdale, and was so thrilled with my creation that I took a sample in to our Executive Chef. He seemed impressed but never, to my knowledge, added it to any menu (while I was still there that is). A friend in my new(er) home here in Reno, who does some catering on the side, recently tried a batch made with the last of my own (first-time) pesto while at a large pot-luck wedding reception for some dear friends of ours at the theater we are involved in (so, yeah, bunch of hippies) – but anyway, my friend said that my chicken salad was the best thing on the table.

If you have a favorite way to make your own chicken salad, I encourage you to try adding some pesto to it, if it seems to fit. If you don’t, please give my recipe a try. The amounts in the recipe are “at-leasts” or “to taste” for the most part, since I’ve never really measured things as I’ve made this, but I think I’m pretty close (fairly good eye-judge on measurements of all sorts, though have never won any “guess-how-many-jelly-beans-are-in-the-jar contests).

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (with rib meat is fine)
½ cup cashews halves and pieces
1 cup chopped celery (about cashew sized pieces or smaller)
1/3 cup of finely chopped green onion
¼ cup of finely chopped pecans
½ cup mayonnaise
dash of Dijon, brown, or sweet-n-spicy mustard
1/3 cup pesto

I season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then bake it wrapped tightly in foil (or in a glass dish with a lid) for about a half an hour. Once the chicken is cooked through, but not overcooked, and then it has cooled enough to handle, I like to shred it by hand into smallish, slightly irregular pieces. I prefer this way over waiting until it is fully chilled or dicing it, as I find it affects the texture of the salad as a whole, which to me is a hugely important part of any salad.

Once the chicken is cooled completely, but not yet cold, I fold together the rest of the ingredients except for the pesto; I find the pesto blends better after the mayo has coated everything else. If I made the chicken salad without the pesto, then I would have seasoned it more, but I’ve found that the pesto, mixed with the rest of the ensemble, has enough saltiness and other seasonings without having to add any others.
I’ve also found that this is one of those dishes that needs to set a while (maybe even over-night) before it is at its best, like good chili or marinara, but is just fine to serve immediately. I’ve always used breads or crackers and the like, and it’s fantastic on a croissant, but it should be great with homegrown greens of your choice and wedges of your favorite, fresh picked tomato (I mean, heck, ya’ll are a bunch of crazy gardeners, aren’t ya?).

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