Chicken Cherry Salad

By jennlu

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (2.25 pound) package frozen boneless skinless chicken breast strips
• 1 (16 ounce) package dry gnocchi or shell pasta
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 (5 ounce) package dried cherries
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1 1/4 cups creamy style poppyseed dressing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups baby spinach, stems removed
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken strips on all sides until juices run clear (about 15 minutes); drain. Cool; cut into cubes. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Rinse with cold water;drain. Combine chicken, pasta, celery, onion and cherries. Combine mayonnaise, poppyseed dressing, salt and pepper. Fold 1 3/4 cups dressing into salad, reserving 3/4 cup dressing. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.
To Serve: Fold in spinach and walnuts; add remaining dressing as needed. Spoon into lettuce-lined serving dish.
Amount: 16 (1 cup) buffet servings or 8 (2 cup) luncheon servings.

Tips:
4 cups cooked chicken may be purchased in meat department