Pecan Chicken Salad with a Fall twist

I had lunch this afternoon with several girlfriends, and the topic of chicken salad recipes came up (probably because that's what half of us were eating!) I have been making my Pecan Chicken Salad for about 10 years now, and it's always a hit. Although this salad is good as is anytime of year, put a fall twist on it by adding red apple chunks and dried cranberries, and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Yummy!

Pecan Chicken Salad

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (well rinsed and patted dry)
chicken broth (enough to cover chicken)
1 1/2 c. toasted pecan halves
1 lb. red seedless grapes
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced scallions
1 c. chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 c. sour cream
S & P to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange chicken, single layer, in a shallow glass baking dish. Cover with chicken broth, lay a sheet of foil over the pan and roast until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 30-40 minutes. Allow chicken to cool in the liquid, then discard liquid and chop chicken into bite-sized chunks. (If you're in a time crunch, you can cheat by purchasing a rotisserie chicken, removing the skin and chopping up the meat.)

Place chicken in a large bowl and add grapes, pecans, celery, scallions and dill; toss well. In a separate bowl, stir together mayonnaise and sour cream (using low fat or fat free will drastically alter the taste of this dish and is not recommended). Add this mixture to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of watercress or butter lettuce, garnish with fresh dill sprigs.