Bring this super easy-to-make creation to your next picnic in the park. When packing the picnic basket or planning to dine al fresco style, this Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad (on Croissants) will be the star.
Kate Bryant introduced me to this Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad sitting in the bleachers of Bennett Family Park where our boys, Michael and Will, played Little League baseball together. Kate always brought bleacher food for the moms in the stands, where in those t-ball years, the action was more likely to happen there than on the field.
Wherever Kate volunteers her Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad will follow. This go-to-salad has made appearances at PTO meetings, school fund-raisers, and get-togethers on the patio with friends. 
Thank you, Kate for submitting this to Our Table 4 2 as a Keeper Recip
Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad Ingredients
We who know Kate, know she never follows or writes down a recipe. But she is a magnificent salad maker. Whenever I ask for the recipe the response is, “I add a little of this and a little of that.”
This recipe has been tested and retested and Mark declares it “a keeper.”
Kate typically serves this in a bowl as a salad. For this recipe, I wanted an elegant yet portable meal that you can eat with your hands cue the croissant!
Here’s my best effort to pin down, not only ingredients, but the measurements.
For exact measurements see the recipe card below.
Cubed Chicken Breast - To keep this quick and easy, we will use grilled chicken, a rotisserie chicken from your grocery deli or you can use your left-over chicken from the Step-by-Step Spatchcock Chicken Sunday Supper.
Chopped Celery & Sliced Red Grapes – Make sure you use seedless grapes!
Basil Pesto – Again, to make this a quick and easy, use your favorite brand of pesto sauce. I have discovered a Trader Joe’s is a great refrigerated basil pesto and it freezes well. So, what you don’t use here, freeze!
Mayo – I typically grab my go-to Hellman’s Light Mayo. I discovered that I like the taste and less calories of the light version even better than the full-fat version.
Honey – Kate does not add honey to her pesto chicken salad, but I find jarred pesto varies in taste…this helped add a bit more dimension (and sweetness) to the salad. Yum!
Toasted Pine Nuts – Often you can find pine nuts in the bulk section of your grocery store. I toast them by placing them in a small skillet over medium-high heat, shaking them around to toast all sides. Keep an eye on them as once they start to brown they can quickly burn. Important: Top your salad with toasted pine nuts right before you serve to keep them crunchy.
Parmesan Cheese – Purchase shredded parmesan to save time.
Croissants (optional) – Most grocery stores carry croissants. I like plating the chicken salad with a croissant or as a sandwich – it feels a little more special. Plus it’s an excuse to buy croissants! Hint – to get a croissant crispy, put it in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes.
How to make Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad for Two?
To keep this quick and easy, and perfectly portioned for two; purchase 2 grilled chicken breasts from your grocery deli or you can use your left-over chicken from the Step-by-Step Spatchcock Chicken Sunday Supper.
Purchase a refrigerated or jarred basil pesto for this recipe. Pesto freezes well; what you don’t use, freeze!
How to keep food safety in mind when eating outside
The Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad should be kept in the cooler at 40 °F or below until serving time.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration:
- Once served it, it should not sit out for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90 ° If it does — discard it.
- Foods like chicken salad can be placed directly on ice, or in a shallow container set in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water as ice melts and replace ice frequently.
The Finishing Touches…
Kate advises to add both the parmesan and pine nuts right before you serve: this helps keep the texture. Pine nuts like to soak in moisture from the pesto, mayo and honey and will become soggy quite quickly.
To keep the croissants from going soggy, let guests assemble their own sandwich.
Lastly, if you make the Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad (on Croissants) be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating!
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Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad (on Croissants)
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Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad
- 1 pound roasted chicken breast , cubed. Keep it easy and purchase from grocery deli or use left-over meat from the roasted Spatchcock Chicken Sunday Super recipe
- ½ cup celery ,chopped
- ½ cup red grapes , sliced thinly
- ¼ cup Mayo
- ¼ cup basil pesto , use purchased jarred or refrigerated pesto
- ½ cup parmesan cheese ,shredded
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
For serving (optional)
- 2 croissants
- 2 Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Place the roasted chicken, celery, red grapes, mayonnaise, honey and pesto in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. I usually add more mayo or pesto if the salad looks and tastes "under dressed." Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If you want more sweetness add 1 teaspoon of honey. Continue to taste and adjust.
- Toast pine nuts by placing them in a small skillet over medium-high heat, shaking them around to toast all sides. Keep an eye on them as once they start to brown they can quickly burn. Important: Top your salad with toasted pine nuts right before you serve to keep them crunchy.
Serving
- Add pine nuts and parmesan right before serving. To serve as a salad: place bibb lettuce on the plate then spoon pesto chicken salad on top of the lettuce leaves.To serve as a sandwich; Serve immediately in sandwich roll or croissant with lettuce.
Notes
Cooking for Two?
To keep this quick and easy, and perfectly portioned for two; purchase 2 grilled chicken breasts from your grocery deli or you can use your left-over chicken from the Step-by-Step Spatchcock Chicken Sunday Supper. Purchase a refrigerated or jarred basil pesto for this recipe. Pesto freezes well; what you don’t use, freeze!How to avoid soggy picnic sandwiches:
Add both the parmesan and pine nuts right before you serve: this helps keep the texture. Pine nuts like to soak in moisture from the pesto, mayo and honey and will become soggy quite quickly. To keep the croissants from going soggy, let guests assemble their own sandwich.Keep cold food cold when eating outside.
The Picnic Perfect Pesto Chicken Salad should be kept in the cooler at 40 °F or below until serving time. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration:- Once served it, it should not sit out for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90 ° If it does — discard it.
- Foods like chicken salad can be placed directly on ice, or in a shallow container set in a deep pan filled with ice. Drain off water as ice melts and replace ice frequently.
Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tom Bond says
So good!!
Pam Werley says
Glad to hear you liked it!
Linda says
Simple and DELICIOUS! The aromas alone got you smiling. After preparing the four servings version, my husband and I enjoyed it on a croissant one night and as lettuce wraps the next. Perfect.
Pam Werley says
I am so glad you liked it! Love the lettuce wrap idea.