Picnic Chicken Salad Croissant (Printable)

Tender chicken and sweet grapes blend with creamy dressing on buttery croissants, perfect for a fresh meal.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Produce

02 - 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
03 - 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dairy

05 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
06 - 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

→ Pantry

07 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
08 - 1 teaspoon honey
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Bread

11 - 4 large croissants, split

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until the dressing is smooth and well incorporated.
02 - Add diced chicken, halved grapes, chopped celery, and parsley to the bowl with dressing. Gently fold all ingredients together until evenly coated with dressing, being careful not to break down the chicken pieces.
03 - Taste the chicken salad and adjust salt, pepper, or mustard as desired for balanced flavor.
04 - Split each croissant horizontally. Spoon a generous portion of the chicken salad onto the bottom half of each croissant.
05 - Cover each filled croissant bottom with its corresponding top half.
06 - Serve immediately while croissants are still fresh, or wrap individually in parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to transport for picnic service.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in under 20 minutes if you use rotisserie chicken, which means you can actually enjoy your picnic instead of prepping all morning.
  • Those halved grapes add this unexpected sweetness that makes people pause mid-bite and ask what you put in there.
  • It's fancy enough to serve at a luncheon but casual enough to eat standing up by a lake without feeling self-conscious.
02 -
  • Don't make these more than a few hours ahead, or the croissants start absorbing moisture and get soggy instead of staying flaky and crispy.
  • If you're transporting them, keep the chicken salad and croissants separate until the last minute, then assemble at your destination or just before you leave. It sounds fussy, but it's the difference between a great sandwich and a regrettable one.
03 -
  • Toast your croissants very lightly if they're sitting around at room temperature, because even thirty seconds under the broiler will revive them and crisp up the outside without drying them out.
  • If you find the grapes are releasing too much liquid and making the filling runny, save halving them until right before you assemble, or drain the mixture gently in a fine mesh strainer for a few minutes before filling your croissants.
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