This past weekend my partner Brett and I bought a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s Club. These are such a buy, especially if  you are on a bariatric diet. We get many meals from this less than $5 purchase. The chicken is always moist and the flavor is very deep. It is one of the best shortcuts you can have in the kitchen. A roasted chicken with no mess, no hassle.

The other day I received my latest issue of Taste of Home, a home cooking magazine. I found this recipe for chicken salad croissants and thought it could be easily tailored for a bariatric friendly diet. This adaptation is similar to the printed recipe with the exception of doubling the salt and pepper and adding a tablespoon of lemon juice. I also substituted fat free buttermilk ranch dressing for buttermilk. I don’t keep buttermilk in my fridge. I find that since I eat less I like a more flavorful food. Lemon juice is a good tool to sharpen the taste without adding a lot of calories.

You might want to let the salad sit overnight. The dried cherries reconstitute and flavors blend. Keep the nuts. I chopped the nuts fine. They are great sources of protein. If you don’t have pecans, use walnuts or almonds.

Cherry Chicken Salad

2 1/2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken breasts
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped apples
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/3 cup fat free buttermilk ranch dressing
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbs. lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, buttermilk ranch dressing, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add chicken, cherries, celery, apples and pecans. Toss until well coated. Refrigerate. Keeps well for a week in the refrigerator.