Chicken & Noodle Slaw

This Asian-style slaw is a meld of many flavors & has a bit of a crunch as well! With the chicken it becomes more than just a satisfying side dish! Preparation time does not include time needed to shred the cabbage & carrot, nor the time taken to chop the chicken. Time that could be cut back by purchasing a pre-packaged cabbage-&-carrot coleslaw & using previously cooked, chopped & frozen chicken. The time also does not include the 4-8 hours for the slaw to chill. NOTE: On June 2011, I edited the recipe to include a 2nd can of mandarin orange segments, make the peanuts optional, AND increase the servings from 8 to 12-14.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

• FOR THE SLAW

• 1  medium head of cabbage, sliced thin & slightly chopped
• 1  medium carrot, peeled & shredded (or a 1-pound bag of prepared coleslaw instead of the cabbage & carrot)
• 2  boneless skinless chicken breast halves, shredded (about 1 lb)
• 2 (2 7/8ounce) packages  low-fat oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix (reserve the 2 packets of seasoning to use in the dressing)
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 3  green onions, sliced
• 1 (2 1/4ounce) can pitted black olives, sliced
• 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin orange segments, drained
• 1⁄3 cup roasted peanuts (optional)

• FOR THE DRESSING

• 2 (1/2ounce) packets  noodle flavoring (from ramen noodle soup mix)
• 1⁄4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1  tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons milk

Directions

1. FOR THE SLAW ~ Somewhat crush the noodles in their clear cellophane envelopes, then make sure larger clumps are separated.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage & carrot OR USE A 1-POUND BAG OF PREPARED COLESLAW, the shredded meat, ramen noodle, water chestnuts, onions, olives & orange segments, then set aside.
3. FOR THE DRESSING ~ In a small bowl, whisk together both seasoning packets, vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, salt & pepper.
4. Pour this over the slaw, & toss to coat.
5. In another small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise & milk, then carefully stir into the slaw.
6. Cover & refrigerate at least 4 hours (& preferably overnight) before serving.