Hawaiian Chicken Macaroni Salad

Name: Hawaiian Chicken Macaroni Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings.
Ingredients: 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, undrained; 1 cup cooked elbow macaroni; 1/2 cup diced cooked chicken; 1/2 cup chopped celery; 1/2 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed; 2 tablespoons slivered almonds; 1/3 cup plain yogurt; 3 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1/4 teaspoon salt

I usually make this Hawaiian mac salad the night before out of left-over chicken. The sweet pineapples complement the crisp celery, green beans and almonds in this flavorful, well-dressed salad. —Margie Dearth, Freemont, WI

Ingredients

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, undrained
1 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/3 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Drain pineapple, reserving 1-1/2 teaspoons juice; set juice aside. In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, macaroni, chicken, celery, green beans and almonds.
Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, salt and reserved pineapple juice. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Chill until serving.

Test Kitchen Tips

To keep pasta from sticking together when cooking, use a large pot with plenty of water. Add a little cooking oil if desired (this also prevents boiling over).

Yogurt is a classic chicken marinade in Greek, Indian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines. Its relatively gentle acidity (compared with lemon juice or vinegar) means it won’t make the meat fibers tough from over-marinating the way that stronger acids can. The lactic acid in yogurt penetrates deeply into the meat without breaking down muscle fibers. It works much like buttermilk, which is another classic dairy-based dip, mildly acidic, that’s perfect for fried chicken.

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