Honey Pecan Chicken Salad

Makes 4-6 servings

I love this recipe because of its sentimentality; it’s just plain old delicious! In Mentone, Alabama…the best little Mountain town in Alabama, there was once a restaurant named “Back Porch”. And this sweet lady ran the restaurant for about two years. The food was incredible: Southern, charming, simple, and delicious. When the restaurant permanently closed, the lady who owned the restaurant wrote down this recipe on an index card for me. It was just the ingredients, no quantities given, but after many tries, I think I finally nailed the taste that she developed! So enjoy, a summertime lunch favorite of mine!

1/2 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup homemade or good quality mayonnaise

1 tablespoon raw unfiltered honey

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken, chopped lightly

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 cup quartered red seedless grapes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, salt and pepper until combined. Add the chicken, celery, pecans, grapes, and tarragon, and stir until combined and the chicken is well coated in the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and stir until just combined.

Serve with crackers or make your favorite chicken salad sandwich.