Can I serve just a Chicken Salad when I am having friends for dinner? 

Should I serve a side dish?

What side dish will go with the Chicken Salad?

Is a Starter necessary?

If I serve a Starter, what starter will balance with the Dessert?

 

A Chicken Salad combines a salad and substantial pieces of chicken and should form all together enough as a main and only course. A lot depend on how casual is your get together and on how much time you have available to prepare the dinner.

If you feel that a starter would be nice, as well as a more filling side dish to supplement the salad, and maybe a dessert; a light starter would be ideal.

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This brings few problems as a lot of starters are salads in one way or another and you don't want to serve a salad for two different courses. A lot of other starters are made with flour (Bruschetta, Empanadas, Samosas, Dips with Fresh Bread etc. and would not balance a rich dessert.

 

The answer is a Crustless Quiche also known as a Fritada in the Sephardic Levantine Cuisine - not to be confused with the Italian Frittata which is a fried omelette. A Crustless Quiche is as a French Quiche filling on its own, a mix of different vegetables and eggs, placed in a pyrex and baked. It is healthy and delicious. You can prepare it in advance or even freeze it and just reheated before serving.

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Should you want to serve the Chicken Salad with a side dish with some substance; serve a cold Potato Salad, not an ordinary potato salad but one combining herbs, onions, pickled cucumbers, sour cream and Dijon Mustard. Delicious!!!

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The menu so far has been very balanced, your guest would by now feel quite satisfied and I feel that a little treat is not out of place. I have served often The Chocolate Biscuit Tart and to my enjoyment, it has been savoured and devoured by all.

Should you have more than eight people for dinner, you may want to introduce a fresh fruit in season for the ones who are very strong will and want to abstain from the dessert, or you may just ignore those recalcitrant guests and proceed to coffee.

There are two menus suggested with a Chicken Salad. One with a light starter and a rich dessert. The other with a starchy starter and a fruit dessert.

I have not changed the side dish for the Potato Salad as I feel that it would be the perfect side. I am open to suggestions and would appreciate your input in the Friends Menus Blog       

All menus have links to the recipes.