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Chicken Salad Pastry Shells

Source of Recipe

From "The Southern Living Party Cookbook"


Recipe Introduction

"I wish I knew how many variations of chicken salad there are. Curried, with nuts, with fruit, with nuts and fruit... I could go on for days. I have known people to come to blows over which recipe is the best. I honestly cannot say which spin gets my vote, but I can say don't ever, and I mean ever, use dark meat in your chicken salad."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen puff pastry shells
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ ½ cup sour cream
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
â—¦ 2 teaspoons lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice (from 1 lemon)
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
â—¦ 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
â—¦ 1 ½ cups diced sweet crisp apple (such as Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji)
â—¦ 1 cup diced celery (from 2 stalks)
â—¦ 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
â—¦ 1 cup slivered toasted almonds


Recipe

Bake the pastry shells according to the package directions; cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken, apple, celery, and onion just until combined. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Stir in ¾ cup of the almonds just before serving, and divide evenly between the baked pastry shells (about ½ cup per shell). Sprinkle evenly with the remaining ¼ cup almonds.


Serves 12