Chicken "Waldorf" Salad

I'm putting the name "Waldorf" in quotes because, well... it only slightly resembles a Waldorf salad.  A Waldorf salad is traditionally described as "a salad made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, and usually served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal."  My version eschews celery and adds tons of protein... because I'm not looking for an appetizer or a light meal.  I want a lunch that will get me through the rest of my day at work and through whatever CFWR has in store for me... and hold me over until dinner.

And, my version has bacon.


A couple of things to note... this recipe yeilds a large volume, but the bulk of the volume is leafy and green.  I had to toss and mix everything together in two batches.  This week's lunch containers are packed pretty tight.  If you really want, you could stretch this into 8 servings... I'd just add a little more protein.  As for the type of greens I used, this week's version was half baby spinach, half "baby kales."  I've had kale before... just never heard of baby kales.  It looked interesting and it was reasonably priced.  In the salad, the bitterness of the kale turns out to be a nice counter to the sweetness of the apples.

Chicken "Waldorf" Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings

What you'll need:

A big bowl for tossing/mixing
Knife and cutting board

Ingredients:

1 whole, cooked chicken (or 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of chicken meat), shredded by hand
2 apples, diced
1 red onion, diced
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 oz. salad greens
3/4 cup homemade mayonaisse
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the shredded chicken meat and skin, diced apples, diced onion, chopped walnuts, and crumbled bacon in the mixing bowl.  Add in the greens and stir/toss by hand until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Add the mayonaisse and mustard and toss everything together until there is an ever-so light, shiny coating of "dressing" on every leaf.  If needed, salt and pepper to taste.

Ladies and gentlemen, Chicken "Waldorf" Salad.