One of the huge perks of working from home a few days a week {well, besides the easy commute} is the ability to have breakfast and lunch at home.  If you weren’t already sure, I love to cook and I get bored very easily with deli sandwiches and frozen meals I can pop in the office microwave. I don’t have a lot time to put together a fancy meal or anything but I can squeeze out a freshly made sandwich or breakfast muffin.  The other day, I was craving chicken salad and my  basil plant is growing on hyperdrive so I ended up making pesto chicken salad.  Now, this salad was amazingly delicious but unfortunately just doesn’t look nearly as good as it tastes so you have to trust me on this one.

I am super picky about my chicken salad and pretty much despise the traditional celery/onion/mayo combo that you usually get at most deli counters.  In fact, you won’t find celery or mayo in this pesto chicken salad.  Instead, the creaminess comes from a blend of yogurts mixed with the basil walnut pesto.

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Pesto Chicken Salad

Servings: 6

Author: Shannah @ Just Us Four

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/4 cup basil walnut pesto
• 1 small red onion finely diced
• 1/2 cup quatered cherry tomatoes {optional}

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and plain yogurt together. Stir well and then stir in pesto.
2. Add chopped chicken and onion and stir well. If using, fold in cherry tomatoes.

As I was talking to a few friends about their favorite chicken salad recipe, there seemed to be a lot of opinions on whether the chicken should be chopped/cubed or shredded.  I, personally, am in the cubed/chopped camp as you can see here but you could easily shred the chicken if you prefer that method.  If you were shredding chicken with your mixer, I can certainly see how that would be easier and faster.

I rolled my chicken salad up in a little wrap for a quick lunch. So delicious.

What are you having for lunch today?