Chicken and Broccoli Salad/Braid

I generally do not use mayonnaise because of its obvious unhealthiness. But last weekend I was making food for a baby shower, and someone else had come up with the menu and the recipes (thank goodness since I'm not good at that). I made a chicken and broccoli salad which was very tasty, but of course had tons of mayo. I often substitute plain yogurt for mayonnaise, but in a salad like this it would probably get watery. When I make it again I will play around with it a little--like I've heard of draining yogurt in cheesecloth overnight in the fridge, or half yogurt/half mayo, maybe substituting cottage cheese, or just using less. Or some combination. But not for a baby shower, when cooking for special occasions I'll pull out the real deal!

Eating the chicken broccoli salad reminded me of a recipe I used to make years ago with a recipe from pampered chef. Loaded with mayo and cheese, I eventually stopped making it. But when I ate the salad I then had a craving for the old recipe. I googled "pampered chef chicken broccoli braid" and found it all over the place. I made some adjustments (because this wasn't for a baby shower) and actually was surprised that besides me, both my husband and 3-yo enjoyed it. I cooked the chicken in soy sauce like I had for the salad because I thought it added great flavor. And the braid is a fun presentation that would work for any filling.

Chicken Broccoli Salad (from Paula Deen via Stephanie)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds)
2 c water
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup crushed peanuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons orange marmalade (I had apricot preserves on hand so that is what I used)
4 cups broccoli florets

In a large skillet place, place chicken breasts in a single layer. Pour water and soy sauce over chicken; sprinkle with garlic. Cover, and cook, over medium-high heat, for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan; let cool for 20 minutes. Cut into 1½-inch pieces. In large bowl combine chicken, broccoli, onion, peanuts, and cranberries. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise and marmalade. Pour over chicken mixture, tossing gently to combine. Cover, refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (This of course softened the peanuts, which I thought would not be good, but it was. The salad had a nice texture.)

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

2 c chicken, cooked and diced
2 c broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 c sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 t dill (or more to taste)
1/4 t salt
1/2 c onion, diced
1 recipe pizza dough (my recipe is here--I used all white whole wheat this time)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, cheese, mayo, dill, salt, and onion. Roll out pizza dough very thin, in a large rectangle, the length being the same size as your cookie sheet, the width being 4 inches wider than your cookie sheet. Spray your cookie sheet with nonstick spray, and carefully pull your pizza dough on, with a couple inches hanging over on each (long) side. Using scissors or a knife, cut strips about 1 inch wide, 3 inches long in towards the center down each of the long sides. Make sure you do the same number on each side. (There should be a solid piece of dough down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down the long sides.) Spread the chicken mixture down the center. Take one strip from each side, give them both a half twist, and pinch the ends together. Continue twisting and pinching all of the strips. Bake 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown.