This Southwestern Hot Chicken Salad (great with turkey too) is based on one one that’s been part of our family food lexicon for years now; this version amps up the spice and flavor a bit with the addition of Mediterraneo Dulce and poblano peppers and (usually) 4 to 8 ounces of roasted, diced green chiles too. Packed with lots of crunchy vegetable goodness, we stir this one up now without digging the recipe out, typically throwing in whatever we have on hand.
The original recipe we were given for this dish was topped with cheese (by all means don’t add it if you’re not doing dairy – we’re happy and healthy Primal enthusiasts, so include it) and then crushed potato chips. As we’ve revamped all of the family favorite recipes to be healthier over the years, topping this dish with sliced almonds is far better than the potato-chip crowned version.
This is comfort food supreme, and not at all a complicated dish to stir together and slide into the oven on short notice. It reheats very well by the way, we never finish an entire recipe ourselves, and find it reheats best in the oven (350, 25-30 minutes) versus the microwave.
3 cups (+) cooked chicken, white and dark meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium Mediterraneo Dulce peppers, stemmed, seeded chopped
2 medium poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 medium bunch celery including leaves, trimmed, sliced on the diagonal
1 small sweet onion or 2 shallots, trimmed and chopped small
1/2 cup diced pimento
1/2 cup sliced green olives (or more)
1 cup avocado or olive oil mayo
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups medium Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1 cup sliced almonds (or more)
1-2 tbsp. paprika
Optional
Sliced water chestnuts
1 cup frozen peas
4-8 ounce can roasted, diced green chiles
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cut up the chicken and place in a large bowl. Add chopped peppers, celery, onion (or shallots), diced pimento, green olives, and if using – the water chestnuts, frozen peas, and green chiles. Now stir in the lemon juice and mayo, then season to taste with good salt and pepper.
Spoon into a 13 x 9 baking dish, sprinkle with the grated cheese then the sliced almonds. Top it all off with a healthy shake of a good paprika.
Now into the oven for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is gooey and melted, the almonds are toasty, and it’s bubbling around the edges.
Serve hot with a generous splash of your favorite hot sauce; reheat on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes if there’s any left over.
Enjoy.
