Just yesterday I discovered Beau Monde seasoning from an old recipe of my mother-in-laws. The handwriting was challenging to make out (definitely not written my my m-in-law) but it very clearly spelled this ingredient “bean monte” making this a fun adventure to find. I have since updated my recipe to what you will find below and will never turn back.
I have a special relationship with chicken salad and will blatantly ignore the Frank’s Hot Sauce in my friend’s recipe. My version is not bold enough to include this vibrant ingredient. The first time I ever admitted to liking “Penni’s Chicken Salad” with a chicken and cream cheese combo to partner with the hot sauce, was an eye opening experience. As a child I ate burgers, mac and cheese, and spaghetti almost weekly. Chicken salad was out of my comfort zone and sounded like a disappointing fancy grown up food. Thankfully something pushed me to try the chicken salad and I discovered that my first impression was way off.
This light chicken dish is dangerously delicious! I can feel the pounds packing on.
Today, I want to share a lighter version made with Dill Dip rather than cream cheese. This recipe is better suited for a summer picnic and can be served with crackers, in a leaf of lettuce, or on a multigrain (or rye) bread.
Check out my Dill Dip Recipe to make this complete. Otherwise substitute mayo and herbs.
BONUS: I am including the Sweet Chicken Salad recipe for those of you who do not like eggs.
Sunflower kernels added 
Take-Home Tips: Feel free to use canned or frozen and shredded chicken to make this even easier. Cooking the chicken in the broth adds the moisture and flavor you miss from fresh chicken. You can shred or chunk the chicken, depending on your taste. The shredded chicken blends better to make more of a paste and is easier, because its denser, to scoop onto crackers. I feel I tend to use less mayonnaise when I chunk the chicken. Add just a couple of drops of hot sauce to intensify the flavor, or switch the pickles/pickle relish for grapes and apple chunks.
Scoring: 8 of 10. My husband did not like the egg in the savory one, although I thought it was perfect. Exactly how mom makes it. There are so many variations of chicken salad, but they can pack in the calories quickly. It takes a bit of prep work but can hold in the fridge for 3 days. After that it begins to separate and retain a puddle of liquid in the bottom. This happens less with cream cheese than mayo.
Food of the Month 