Next you’ll be trying Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, maybe even a Rueben, you know, the hard stuff.

Chicken Salad is a gateway sandwich.

Fried banana and peanut butter. You know you want to follow in the footsteps of Elvis.

Chicken salad is bleh. Tuna salad is horrific, and egg salad I can’t even hold down (which is why I stopped eating it about 23 or so years ago).

Chicken salad is all in the execution, Les.  Toasted sourdough bread, correct use of spices (which is to say a lot hotter than what you get from the shop, and maybe some peppers added), crisp celery…

There’s a crummy little restaurant here in town that makes incredibly good rubin sandwiches.  But oddly none of the bars around here do, by comparison they’re not even trying.

Hamburgers… unfortunately it seems Wendy’s is in financial trouble.

See Les, it depends on if the ingredients are hitting the right bits, plus the mix.  I don’t know about DOFs ingredients, but they obviously work for him.

1st: Bread- White’s no good for anything much, apart possibly for toast. Granery with the bits in is best bread in my opinion.  Or Crusty Roll. Local sandwich shop (Good and Plenty, Cambridge Street, Aylesbury) round the corner from one of those bland ‘Subways’ uses french sticks- 12 inches of oral pleasure(!!! Down Sadie) Sourdough sounds nice- have to find some over here.

2 “Chicken” “Salad”.  Was the salad an excuse to skimp on the chicken?

3: The Chicken- did anything partner it- salad isn’t a filling.  You need a nice bit of bacon or ham in there, and/or stuffing.

3a. How is the chicken presented? Dry?  I like mine chopped with aforementioned partners and mixed in mayo. Afore mentioned sandwich shop does this

4 Are you fussy about the spread? Will only butter do. Commercial places will use a cheap substitute.

5) though it isn’t a filling salad has a role to play. I make a rule NO TOMATO, especially if a) it’s one of those big watery ones and b)there is going to be any form of not eating straight away. Tomatos should be smallish, firm and served with salt on the side of a plate.  I recommend lettuce- it both counterpoints the texture of the mayo chicken, and protects the bread. I like some sliced cucumber and cress as well.

The one I like- from the Good and Plenty:

French Baton, split length ways, but still attached, buttered, then layer of lettuce leaves and slice cue on each side, Put in the Chicken/mayo/bacon mix. Cress to top. Cut in half so you can have half for breakfast and half for elevensies. Bargain at £2.10 (about $3.30). All fresh made on premises.

You must have had a sandwich made with my mother’s recipe.  It definitely deserves a Meh.

Our youngest son, being a guitar player, occassionally brings home friends, sort of a concert lingerafter.
One evening, a waif of a girl was sitting in my kitchen and told me she hadn’t eaten for two days.
(college students can be weird).
Being the mother hen that I am, I began pulling leftovers out of the fridge and started chopping and slicing.
My chicken salad has cooked chicken cut up into tiny pieces, mixed with name brand Miracle Whip, dill relish, onion powder, shredded provolone and/or cheddar cheese, and chopped green olives.
Spread butter on a slice of nine grain bread just brought home from the bakery, and garlic hummus on another and put some leaf lettuce and the chicken salad between.

The girl ate over half of it before she stopped to wash it down with some root beer.  She looked up at me.
She said it was the best sandwich she has _ever_ had, and not just because she was hungry.

Maybe circumstances were not adequate for your dining pleasure. 
Or you need a better cook

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever consumed chicken salad in my 25 years on this Earth.

Italians know how to eat.  Give the Muffuletta a shot.  It is a monster.

* For the sandwich:
* 1 round loaf italian bread
* 1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
* 1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
* 1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
* 1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
* 1/4 pound Provolone cheese,sliced
* 1 cup olive salad with oil

* For the olive salad:
* 1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, slightly crushed and well drained
* 1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and sliced
* 2 small jars capers, drained
* 1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
* 4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
* 1 small jar celery seeds
* 1 small jar oregano
* 1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
* 1 pound large Greek black olives
* 1 jar cocktail onions, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Crisco oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using.

Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad and oil. (You don’t use all the olive salad) Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!

Serves four timid dieters, two hearty New Orleanians or one incredible maiale.  http://www.gumbopages.com/food/samwiches/muff.html

My mate bought me a chicken salad roll from Kentucky Fried a coupla months ago.
It was edible.
Then again stuff you don’t make yourself always has a different taste.

Damn Mrs DOF that does sound yummy!

Neon, I’ve already had Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, and even a Rueben or two. In fact I’m quite partial to Ruebens. I can’t explain why I’d never had Chicken Salad before.

Zach, I’m not overly fond of bananas and the concept of frying peanut butter frightens me.

DOF, I’m a wuss when it comes to spicy hot foods. Probably best the sandwich was bland.

LH, I didn’t stop to examine the mixture too closely, but if you hadn’t told me it was Chicken Salad I never would’ve known there was chicken in it. I put it on multigrain bread and that was pretty good in and of itself. I never eat raw tomatoes. Can’t stand ‘em.

MrsDOF, it was a cafeteria at The Automotive Company I’m working for. One of the nicest ones I’ve ever been in, but still a cafeteria. I have to admit your take on the sandwich sounds pretty good, though hummus is another thing I’ve never eaten before.

Consi, how much you wanna bet my dad copies that down and gives it a shot. Speaking of which, you guys should go over to his blog and encourage him to put up some of his recipes.

Try a potato salad on rye.

Nearly empty fridges are the mother of invention.

You haven’t had my chicken salad: It would make you want to crack a fat.

A good chicken salad recipe must have grapes, walnuts and apples in it and definitely Miracle Whip. And next time I think I might try adding horseradish.

Anyway, chicken salad can be like ambrosia or like wallpaper paste. Not every recipe deserves a taste.

My first guess was “it must have been a cafeteria sandwich”.  Really and truly.  I worked 3 years in a cafeteria, so my comment was experience inspired.
Believe me, my mother’s product would have been worse.  That’s why I’m a good cook....my mother is not.
I was fixing supper for a family of six when I was 12 years old.
When I was a teenager, she often had me doing a sort of catering menu and serving when she was having a group over.

When DOF read my line about ‘a better cook’ he said it would really hit the fan if the person who made the sandwich was a wife or mother-in-law.

I see I’m alright, tho, because your Missus came in with such a nice compliment.  Thanks!

And Brock, what is with the horseradish?  I’ve seen it lately in several people’s carts at the grocery store.
I don’t mind the taste for certain dishes, but I’m not so sure I would mix it with the grapes in the recipe.  Although I’ve had a sandwich at a church potluck which has the walnuts and apples and it seemed quite tasty.

And Brock, what is with the horseradish?  I’ve seen it lately in several people’s carts at the grocery store

I think people tend to crave horseradish more in the cooler months than warmer ones. It’s a great decongestant for colds or sinus and improves sluggish circulation, much like garlic does.

Too, it’s a great additive to bump up the appeal of a beef, chicken or vegetable dish. I guess you might want to use a green grape or leave it out altogether if you added horseradish. I’ll have to try it both ways and let you know, MrsDoF.

Now that I think of it, some people put chili seasoning in their chicken salad. I’m sure I’d prefer horseradish to that.

Not a fan of the apple in chicken salad.  The pear works nice or some fresh strawberries diced.  The apple added too much texture because it was so crunchy. 

I’ve used horseradish in a chicken salad, but not with grapes and walnuts.  Was using chives, red onion, celery, a couple of splashes of tabasco, celery salt, garlic, a splash lemon juice, a diced plum tomato, grated carrot, and finely diced red bell pepper.  It worked with that.

My mom put apples in the tuna salad.  Never cared much for them.  I like mine tuna, eggs, miracle whip, spicy mustard, maybe a little relish.  And no more mayo/mustard than neccessary to hold the glop together. 

Hmm, wonder if Tabasco Chipotle marinated chicken would make a good chicken salad…

I’ve gotten to where I have to eat a roast beef sandwich with horseradish or aujus dip.  Preferably both.

but if you hadn’t told me it was Chicken Salad I never would’ve known there was chicken in it.

Sounds like a supermarket sandwich- all cheap ingredients, with the barest minimum of more expensive stuff. 

I’n not a big fan of chicken/turkey- rather bland.  At Christmas Mrs H (this is actually how people at work refer to her) often gets me a game bird (the kind with wings, not the kind from ‘Carry On’ films) for me while everyone else has the turkey. Unsurprisingly, I often only get half the meat because every one else wants to try… Actually I’d be happy with no turkey and extra pigs in blankets and stuffing.

Les, neve mind the chicken salad, go to the Krystal Bar in Port Huron and have some “Chicken in the Rough” with a cold draft beer.
That will straighten your jib!