Basil Jalapeno Chicken Salad

Chicken salad restaurants seem to be all the rage right now and this is definitely a food trend I can get behind. I love that there is no right way to mix up a chicken salad and really, anything goes. I like my chicken salad light on mayo, heavy on veggies and full of savory flavor.

I had some leftover shredded chicken to use up and a batch of chicken salad seemed like a great way to repurpose my crock pot leftovers. A fresh bunch of basil was sitting alongside a giant jalapeno in my vegetable drawer and I had a little bit of pesto hanging out in there as well. This dinner came together quickly and was a perfect end to a busy Monday! It's a great dish to make on Sunday and enjoy for lunch all week!

Basil Jalapeno Chicken Salad

4-6 cups shredded chicken breast

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. basil pesto 

Handful fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman's brand made with olive oil)

Salt + pepper, to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

In a large bowl, mix chicken, jalapeno, onion, pesto, basil and mayo. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top of kale, in lettuce cups, on cucumber slices- the options are endless!