I’m so excited! Monday I finished the manuscript for the next Honeyville cookbook!  It will be called The Meal in a Jar Handbook: Gourmet Food Storage Made Easy.  I know many of you have been waiting for it and it will be here soon! I say soon…but it will be closer to November before it is published.  That being said, I still will create new recipes.  For example, today’s recipe won’t be in the book. It is all new, just for the Honeyville blog! Are we excited?!!

This one is a great recipe for taking on family picnics, camping trips or traveling.  I’ve found it to be a healthy sandwich and wrap filling as well as a delicious topper for salad greens!  52-method Meals in a Jar has been probably one of the most amazing and motivating ways to prepare for an emergency using family recipes that anyone can make. So of course, this will also be shelf-stable up to 10 years and still taste delicious! If you are new to this 52-method Meals in a Jar  you’ll probably need to read the posts on how to pack the jars with a food saver (if you don’t want to use an oxygen absorber) as well as how to make the meals in mylar bags if you decide not to make them in the jars.  Those posts are here: 

For this recipe, I use quart jars. 

Chef Tess Instant Chicken Salad
quart Jar ingredients:
2 cups Honeyville Freeze Dried White Chicken
1/4 cup  Honeyville Freeze Dried Onion
1/2 cup  Honeyville Freeze Dried Celery
1/4 cup  Honeyville Buttermilk Powder 
1/2 tsp Chef Tess All Purpose or Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp Ultra Gel (gluten-free)

Jar directions: Layer ingredients in a clean, very dry mason jar. Top with a 300 cc Oxygen Absorber (this must be used with freeze-dried meat for it to be safe!) or  use the  Food Saver Vacuum Packing Meals in a Jar Tutorial. Label jars clearly with preparation instructions. 

To Prepare: Remove oxygen absorber and discard. Pour 1 3/4 cup boiling water into the jar with the chicken mixture. Cover and let sit to hydrate 10 minutes. Chill for cold salad or immediately serve over salad greens or in between two slices of whole grain bread, rolled in a whole grain tortilla or eat with crackers. Yields 2 cup chicken salad.

Nutritional information: 1/2 cup chicken salad 167 calories, 3 g fat, 2 carbs, 25 grams protein.

Now you can make a few variations:


Chicken Pizza Salad Wraps
To the original Jar ingredients add:
Use 1 tsp Chef Tess Italian Seasoning
Add 2 Tbsp Honeyville Tomato Powder
1/4 cup Honeyville Dehydrated Shoestring Carrots

Increase water in preparation to 2 cups boiling water. Wrap warm salad, 1/2 cups with 1 cup lettuce and 2 tomato slices in an herb tortilla.

Buffalo Chicken Salad
To the original Jar ingredients add:
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper 
1 Tbsp Vinegar Powder 
Prepare as directed.

Put 1/2 cup warm chicken salad on top of a bed of spinach and serve with a drizzle of buffalo sauce and 1-2 Tablespoons blue cheese crumbles if desired.


Cheesy Chicken Salad
To the original Jar ingredients add:
1 baggie with 1/2 cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese 
Twist the bag closed. Top jar with oxygen absorber.

Hydrate chicken salad according to original recipe.  While the chicken salad is hydrating, keep cheese aside. Allow chicken salad to hydrate completely. Stir in cheese. Allow to sit 5 minutes more.  Serve on a crunchy French bread with wedges of tomato if desired.

There you go my darlings! Have fun with chicken salad for all you camping, picnic and food storage adventures! Onward an upward!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess