Yummiest Ever Chicken Salad Sandwiches

*And when I say yummiest ever, I mean the only chicken salad that I will eat, let alone gorge myself on. :)

Chicken salad sandwiches are a summertime staple at our house. They're yummy, healthy (ish), and easy. Plus they seem fancy, so we make them when we have company over and don't want to heat up the house with a real fancy meal.

For me, chicken salad sandwiches are all about texture, so the adjectives in the ingredient list are very important -- the crunch is what makes the sandwich the yummiest ever instead of just good. :)

What you'll need:

2 lbs chicken meat -- the more bones you have (bone-in, wings/thighs, etc), the higher poundage you'll need
1/2 lb firm grapes
1-2 stalks crunchy celery
1 crisp apple
3/4 cup light mayonnaise (real mayo... no miracle whip)
1 tsp garlic salt (to taste)
1 dozen large croissants

1. Cook and shred the chicken.
   
   • I always boil my chicken because I can boil a large amount and then freeze whatever shredded chicken I don't need for the current recipe.Then I just have to thaw the chicken for the next recipe.
2. Let the chicken cool completely.
   
   • It shouldn't be warm at all when you start adding the rest of the ingredients, so I boil and shred the chicken the night before and let it cool overnight in the fridge.
3. Stir in mayonnaise, more or less than 3/4 cup depending on how moist you want it... I lean towards the dry side. 
4. Sprinkle and mix in garlic salt.
   
   • You want to have enough garlic salt that it affects the flavor of the chicken salad, but not so much that you can actually taste the garlic. If in doubt, use less than you think you should.
5. Chop apple, grapes, and celery into small pieces and stir in to salad.
   
   • The portions listed here will make the salad about a 50-50 split of chicken and crunch (from the apples, grapes, and celery), which is just how I like it. Add more or less to your liking.
6. Chill the chicken salad in the fridge until ready to serve.
7. Slice each croissant in half and stuff full of chicken salad. 

Delicious! Not only is this yummy, but it's easy. And good for leftovers the next day (although the sandwiches are best if assembled just before eating so the croissants don't get soggy). That is a requirement at our house. Without leftovers, The Mr. is left with PB&J for lunch. :)