BLT Chicken Salad

Kayla married Devon. April 20, 2024. First African Baptist Church. The same church where Earl and I were married in 1976. The same aisle. The same God. The same pew, third row, left side, where I have sat for forty-five years. But this time I was not in the pew. I was in the front row, holding Michael's photo in my lap, wearing the navy dress, wearing no pearls because the pearls were around Kayla's neck, where they belong now.

She was beautiful. The dress was white, simple, elegant — not the poufy kind, the kind that moves like water, the kind that said: I am a woman who knows who she is. Earl's pearls sat against her collarbone like they were made for her. Her hair was up. Her eyes were steady. And she walked down that aisle on Earl Jr.'s arm — because Earl Jr. is the closest thing to a father she has, and he walked her down the aisle with the same quiet dignity that his father would have had, and I watched them come and I held Michael's photo tighter and I thought: your baby, Michael. Your baby is getting married.

Devon stood at the altar in a dark suit, trembling slightly, which is the correct amount of trembling for a man about to marry a Henderson woman. Pastor Williams performed the ceremony. The vows were traditional — for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. When Devon said "I do," his voice cracked. When Kayla said "I do," her voice was clear as a bell. That's my girl. Clear as a bell.

The reception was in the fellowship hall. Family-style, long tables, the food in the center. I stood behind the serving table — MY serving table, MY food — and I served every plate myself. Two hundred pieces of fried chicken. Ten gallons of shrimp and grits. Four pots of greens. Monique's rolls. Mrs. Brooks's preserves. Thomas's cobbler and mine, side by side with the wedding cake. One hundred and twenty people ate. Every piece of chicken was eaten. Every grain of grits was consumed. Every roll was buttered. The food was perfect. The food was my gift. The food was my speech and my prayer and my love, plated and served and consumed, the way I have loved this family for sixty-eight years: through the food, through the hands, through the giving.

After the reception, Kayla found me in the kitchen. She was still in her dress, Earl's pearls around her neck, and she hugged me and she said, "Granny, the food was the best part." I said, "Better than the dress?" She said, "Better than everything." I said, "That's because it was made with love." She said, "Everything you make is made with love." I said, "Yes. It is."

I cried in the car. Same as the boil. Same as the retirement. Same as every time the love gets too big for the room. But this time it was different. This time the tears were not grief and not gratitude. They were completion. The girl I raised after Michael died is married. The food I cooked for the wedding was perfect. The pearls Earl gave me are around Kayla's neck. The tradition is passed. The circle is complete.

Now go on and feed somebody.

I have cooked for funerals, holidays, graduations, and now a wedding — and the lesson is always the same: the food has to carry what words cannot. Two hundred pieces of fried chicken will not fit in a home kitchen on a Tuesday afternoon, but this BLT Chicken Salad will, and it holds the same intention: good chicken, good company, nothing wasted. Make it for whoever needs feeding today. That’s all any of us are ever really doing.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the chicken. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6–7 minutes per side, until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest 5 minutes, then dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the bacon. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook bacon strips until crisp, about 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool, crumble into pieces.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine diced chicken, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, celery, and romaine. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
Taste and serve. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately over additional lettuce leaves, in a sandwich roll, or scooped onto crackers. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

BLT Chicken Salad — The Food Was My Gift