Happy Monday, friends!
I hope you enjoyed the weekend – we had some beautiful weather in these parts, which, I have to say, does lessen the blow of Monday morning.
We also had some fun weekend activities. On Friday, my husband and I went out to dinner and then completely geeked out at the movies when we saw “Avengers: Infinity War.” I’m still processing it. Just…wow. If you’ve seen the movie, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Wow-za.
On Saturday, I went to a yoga-pilates fusion class in the morning, which was an awesome way to gear up for the busy day ahead. That night, I went out with girlfriends, which is always a nice treat (we’re all busy people these days, so it’s super special and fun when we can actually carve out girls-only time together). And then yesterday, we went to a birthday party for some of our best friends’ son (and one of Kieran’s built-in best friends for life). It was an unusually busy but lovely weekend.
And now…we’re back to reality. Womp womp. I’m telling you, though, this weather helps me cope!
To get the week going and to hopefully prepare you for next weekend’s glorious combo of Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby, I made snacks! And they’re unintentionally, kinda accidentally HEALTHY! So yay for that.
These green goddess chicken salad cups are not only adorable, but they taste pretty darn good too. I am on a green goddess kick right now, as evidenced in my recent egg salad post.
It is a fun and delicious way for me work more greens and healthy fats into my life, without making me feel like I have to constantly eat salads or down green smoothies (not that I mind doing either, but you get my point…). It’s accidentally healthy without TASTING overly healthy, and that’s my favorite kind of food.
Plus, it’s really fun to do twists on classic recipes. Chicken salad is just the tip of the iceberg!
You can keep this really easy on yourself and buy cooked or rotisserie chicken at the store. I tend to make chicken salad whenever there is chicken left over from the week. Waste not, want not! When you’re tossing it in a delicious green and herby dressing, adding in grapes, celery, dried cranberries, and toasty almonds, that leftover chicken starts to look and taste pretty good.
You can totally serve this up in sandwich form. Or in a bowl alongside some pita chips or crackers. But I like to serve it in these adorable little phyllo pastry cups. I buy them pre-made at the store, from the freezer section. You defrost them for a little bit and then fill. No baking required!
And when it comes to party foods or event snacks, I am totally down with keeping things as simple as possible. These meet those requirements.
Accidentally healthy, delicious, and cute!
What more could you ask for?
Green Goddess Chicken Salad Phyllo Cups
- Yield: 4-6 appetizer servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ½ of a ripe avocado
- ½ cup parsley
- ½ cup dill
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Phyllo Cups:
- ½ cup of the dressing (use as much as you like)
- 1½ cups cooked, diced chicken breast
- ½ cup halved red grapes
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1 package frozen phyllo cups, defrosted
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is broken down and combined.
- Scrape down the sides and run the machine a few more times to achieve a creamy, smooth consistency. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to a week.
For the Phyllo Cups:
- In a large bowl, combine the dressing, chicken, grapes, celery, half the cranberries, and half the almonds.
- Spoon the mixture into the phyllo cups and garnish with the remaining cranberries and almonds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
How would one make the phyllo cups?
Hi Marilyn. I buy mine at the store, in the frozen section. If you want to make them from scratch, you can buy frozen phyllo dough sheets and cut them to size. You likely would need to layer several sheets and then brush them with egg wash before cutting and baking in muffins tins. The pre-made ones are my favorite way to do the cups, though! Hope this helps.