Smoky and Creamy Southwest Chicken Salad

While at a wine bar on the Florida coast, we had a few yummy, mid-afternoon snacks and one was an amazing chicken salad. It was smoky, spicy but not hot and incredibly flavorful. We had fun recreating this at home with the flavors we remembered. (Shhh...don’t tell anyone but we think ours may even be a bit better!) A great lunch option to quickly prep during a busy day or to make ahead for a busy week. Enjoy on crackers, chips or bread!⁣

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Serves 6⁣

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Ingredients:⁣

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese⁣

1/2 cup avocado mayonnaise ⁣

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce plus 2 Tbsp sauce⁣

2 tsp lemon juice ⁣

1 tsp smoked paprika ⁣

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper⁣

1 tsp cumin⁣

1/2 tsp kosher salt ⁣

1/4 tsp black pepper ⁣

2 stalks of celery, diced⁣

1/2 cup shredded carrots ⁣

1/2 red onion, minced⁣

1/2 cup dried cranberries ⁣

4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (can easily substitute shredded rotisserie chicken to save time)⁣

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Directions:⁣

Using a food processor, combine cream cheese through pepper. Blend until smooth.⁣

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In a medium bowl, combine celery through chicken. ⁣

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Pour creamy sauce over chicken mixture and blend well. Serve with crackers or on bread as a sandwich. ⁣