Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I’ve always believed that “best” and “chicken salad” are subjective terms, but when I stumbled across an article crowning Kardea Brown’s recipe as the top chicken salad—beating out even Ina Garten—I couldn’t resist the challenge. Kardea, a Food Network chef I hadn’t heard of before, had my curiosity piqued. Her recipe promised a fresh take, and I was craving chicken in any form, so I dove in. Spoiler: it’s a winner!

 

 What sets this recipe apart is Kardea’s clever use of both light and dark meat from a rotisserie chicken that gives it incredible depth. I made a small tweak, swapping the suggested bell pepper for roasted red pepper (a personal preference), and the result was phenomenal. I’d never used peppers of any kind in chicken salad before, and I rarely reach for Dijon mustard, but that mustard was a game-changer, adding a tangy, sophisticated kick that elevated the whole dish, not to mention the eggs that I particularly enjoyed.

The recipe comes together quickly, perfect for a weeknight meal or a fancy lunch. The combination of creamy mayonnaise, smoky paprika, and garlicky goodness with the crunch of celery and the subtle sweetness of roasted red pepper made every bite irresistible. Served on buttery croissants, this chicken salad sandwich is now a staple in my kitchen.

Here’s the recipe, adapted from Kardea Brown’s original:

 

Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Serves: 6

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 3 lbs.), white and dark meat hand-shredded, then roughly chopped
1 c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. garlic powder
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 
1 celery stick, diced 
½ c. Melissa’s roasted red pepper, diced 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
6 croissants, split 

In a medium bowl, mix the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, paprika, garlic powder, chopped eggs, celery, and roasted red pepper. 

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill and let the flavors meld. 

Serve on split croissants for a delicious sandwich. 

This chicken salad is versatile—perfect for a picnic, a casual lunch, or even a light dinner. The Dijon and roasted red pepper add a bold twist that makes it stand out from the usual recipes. Kardea Brown’s version has earned its spot as my go-to, and I’m already looking forward to making it again. If you’re a chicken salad skeptic like I was, give this a try—it might just redefine “best” for you too!

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How to Make Gravy from a Rotisserie Chicken

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It’s amazing what excites me these days. I’m not sure if that says more about my age, or the pandemic, nonetheless, I’m going to share my recent bit of excitement with you, namely, that I made gravy from a rotisserie chicken. I always find that gravy adds something to a meal (other than calories). It just seems a little more festive when I drizzle a bit of gravy over that chicken, mound of mashed potatoes, or side of dressing. If you are intrigued by the idea as well, here’s how I did it.

How to Make Gravy from a Rotisserie Chicken

One rotisserie chicken
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. flour
2 c. chicken broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 - ¼ t. rubbed sage
1 T. heavy cream, optional

Preheat oven to 400° F. Strip meat off of rotisserie chicken and set aside for future use. Break up the skeletal remains (for lack of a better word) and place those pieces into a 12-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven, being careful when you do, remember that pan is hot! Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the pot. At this point you have the choice of either discarding them, or turning them into a roasted chicken stock.

Place pan over a burner set to medium low. Add butter, stirring while it melts to incorporate it with accumulated juices, and any browned bits on the bottom. When butter has melted, stir in flour. Continue to cook, stirring, until the butter and flour mixture (the roux) has become a nice nutty brown color, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add chicken stock, continuing to stir, and simmer until the gravy reaches its desired thickness. At this point salt and pepper to taste, and stir in some rubbed sage for richness. Stir in cream, if desired.

 

 

Chicken and Mushroom Crepe Casserole

As you may be saying to yourself while viewing the above picture, casseroles are not pretty, and you would be right. But there is something so taste-tempting and delicious about casseroles, not to mention nostalgic and comforting. That's a big return from one simple dish. This one, I think, is particularly good. I adapted it from one found in the Oprah magazine, adding a bit more taste and texture with scallions and fresh mushrooms, and making it much more flavorful by substituting the suggested Swiss for Smoked Gouda (oh, yeah!).  I also made it a heck of a lot simpler by using a rotisserie chicken (be sure to save the rest for making stock) and a package of premade crepes from Melissa's Produce (once you try these you will never make crepes again). The filling can be made the day before, and everything can be rather quickly assembled just before baking. Enjoy it with some fresh green beans and relax in the comfort of your culinary talents.

Chicken and Mushroom Crepe Casserole

1 pkg. Melissa’s Ready-to-Use Crepes

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 cup roughly chopped crimini mushrooms

2 scallions, white and green parts, diced

1 cup Smoked Gouda cheese, grated, plus extra for topping

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated, plus extra for topping

1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 clove garlic, cut in half

Salt and pepper, to taste

  

Preheat oven to 350º F and rub halved garlic all over the inside of 9x13-inch baking dish. (See NOTE)

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, mushroom soup and cheeses.  Stir and fold in shredded chicken, scallions and mushrooms. and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1/3 cup of mixture into each crepe and roll it up like a burrito.

Cut crepes in half (or into thirds if they’re large) and carefully transfer to baking dish. Place them close together so they stand upright.

Sprinkle extra cheese over the top of casserole.

Put baking dish in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: I used a dish significantly smaller than the one suggested.  I divided the mixture equally among the 10 crepes in the package and cut them in half.  They were a bit taller than the casserole dish, so I slanted them a bit.

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