Curried Chicken Rice Salad

About 30 years ago, I got this recipe from a pamphlet at a Visitor's Center just over the Mississippi River from Mississippi into Arkansas. It has been a summer mainstay ever since. The time required assumes you already have cooled cooked rice. Also, I go heavy on the pineapple and use a whole can rather than 1 cup.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  cup raw rice, cooked and cooled
• 2  cups  diced  cooked chicken
• 1  cup  diced  canned pineapple
• 1  cup  diced celery
• 1⁄2 cup  diced green pepper
• 1  cup mayonnaise
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped  peach preserves
• 1  teaspoon curry powder
•  salt and pepper
• 1  cup  grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Combine cool rice (make sure it is really cool, otherwise you will end up with Curried Chicken Rice Mush!), chicken, pineapple, celery and green pepper in biggish bowl.
2. Combine peach preserves, mayonnaise and curry powder. Stir into the chicken mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Chill for at least 2-3 hours. Serve topped with grated cheese, or not -- .