The Greatest Chicken Salad Ever

There are two secrets to making a good chicken salad
and I know both of them. The first secret is that you
should shred the chicken breast with a fork; don't
cube it. Shredding the chicken gives it more surface
space to absorb the salad portion of the chicken salad.

The second secret is real mayonnaise. I prefer Helmann's,
but Kraft will do as well. That salad dressing crap,
especially Miracle Whip, breaks down and leaves you
with runny stuff at the bottom of the bowl. That's
nasty. Even if you think you like Miracle Whip better
than mayo, remember that a great end result is what you
are looking for.

I like some toasted shaved almonds in my chicken salad.
A little grated carrot helps kick up the natural sweetness.
Golden raisins aren't half bad in there either. Walnuts. Pecans.
Lemon pepper, thyme, dill, herbs d'Provence or Green Goddess.
Boiled egg, shredded cheese, peas, chopped broccoli or diced pepper.
Mushrooms, sprouts, water cress, water chestnuts, it's all good.
Fresh diced onions and celery are a must though for a good
flavor base. But if you start with good basics, you could add
a shoe and come off with something halfway decent.

Letting your concoction sit is also very important. The flavors
need a chance to get know each other, mature and get funky.
A couple hours to overnight are recommended.