Avocado Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

There are certain recipes that are responsible for my love of cooking.  I have such vivid memories of tasting  certain meals and thinking how could I have lived this long without knowing about this!  I would immediately forget about the time that went into the preparation and be taken away to some foodie euphoria.  This is what keeps me in the kitchen... this is one of those recipes.  It was one day in college that my friend Allison and I decided to take a "personal day" and do lots of cooking.  At this point, I had made a few things that were tasty, but I knew Paula Deen's avocado chicken salad was going to always be one of my favorites from the first bite I took.  If you love chicken salad and avocado as much as I do, I would bet my crepe pan on the fact that this will be one of your favorites too! Enjoy!

I made this for my sister-in-laws baby shower last weekend and it is a definite go-to recipe for any brunch or luncheon.   It takes a little bit of time, but is definitely worth it for a special occasion!

Avocado Chicken Salad
Adapted from Paula Deen
Recipe Notes
One of the unique things about this chicken salad is the dressing that goes on top.  It is really what makes the dish pop.  Serve it alongside the chicken salad and drizzle over before eating.  This also goes great with your favorite cracker or some crusty french bread.  The chicken salad can be made the night before if you leave out the avocado chunks.  Add avocado up to 30 minutes before serving.  The dressing can be made the night before as well and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad
3 cups cooked, diced chicken (click here for instructions)
3 cups cooked white rice
2 avocados, peeled, diced and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the Avocado Dressing
1 small avocado mashed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Step by Step
For the Chicken Salad
1.  Mix all ingredients except for avocado chunks.  Mix until ingredients are well combined.
2.  Add chunks of avocado and toss lightly.
3.  Chill until ready to serve.
For the Dressing
1.  Combine all ingredients into a food processor.
2.  Blend until completely smooth.
3.  Chill and serve alongside the chicken salad.