WHAT’S COOKIN’
The Perfect Picnic
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Tomatoes stuffed with fresh-made chicken salad make a light and tasty outdoor lunch. BY SANDI GRIGG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES STEFIUK
Last spring we celebrated my spouse’s birthday with friends in Surf City. We rented an Airbnb on the waterway and thoroughly enjoyed fishing, beachcombing and visiting the various shops on the island. One particularly warm day we decided to have a lunch picnic on the beach and spend the day enjoying the sun, sand and surf. I decided to make chicken salad stuffed tomatoes and packed them in a cooler for a light lunch on the beach. They were delicious, filling, fresh and easy to make. As an easy shortcut, I created this recipe using a storebought rotisserie chicken, which is so easy because all you have to do is pull off the meat and shred it with a fork. I love the ease and flavor of using a rotisserie chicken from the
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Topsail Magazine
grocery store, but if you want to cook your own chicken breasts and shred them for this recipe, go for it — it will probably take two large breasts. Feel free to make this recipe your own. I enjoy the crunch from the celery and sweetness from the apples in this dish, but you could swap in almond slivers and/or grapes if you don't like celery or apples. And if you follow my What's Cookin' recipes, you know I only use Duke’s mayonnaise, but of course you could use your preferred brand. I chose to use beefsteak tomatoes because they are large and hold the most amount of chicken salad. They are also sturdy when hollowed out. You could certainly stuff cherry tomatoes for an appetizer option or Roma tomatoes for a small side dish. Another option is to melt the parmesan cheese by baking
