3 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tbsp. grated onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 tsp. salt (depending on taste)
1 tsp. dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup quartered green grapes
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
crackers or Hawaiian bread

Place shredded chicken in bowl (if using canned chicken, make sure it is well-drained). Add spices, onion and mayonnaise. Mix well. Taste to see if additional salt or pepper is needed. Add celery, grapes, pecans and cheese (optional). Mix well.

Refrigerate for at least one hour. Taste before serving to see if seasoning needs to be adjusted.

Note: It is better to taste at this point than before it's refrigerated because the chilling concentrates the flavors and allows the spices to absorb into the chicken.

Serve with crackers (Club and Ritz are great) or scoop out the top of a boule of Hawaiian bread (forming a bowl) and serve salad in bread bowl with bread chunks on the side.

Submitted by: Kim James