Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Sandwich

This Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad combines seasonal holiday flavors with a maple Dijon dressing for an easy fall and winter salad or sandwich.

This Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad is a holiday-inspired twist on a classic chicken salad. It’s made with tender chicken, fresh pears, shaved fennel, crunchy celery, toasted walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese. Everything is tossed in a maple Dijon dressing that brings together sweet and savory flavors for a seasonal take on chicken salad.

I love making chicken salad with different ingredients throughout the year, and this version is perfect for fall and winter. The pears add sweetness, while the fennel and celery bring crunch, and the blue cheese adds a little tanginess. It’s a great option for holiday lunches, meal prep, or using up leftover chicken, and can be served on toasted bread, over greens, or with crackers.

If you like this chicken salad, you’ll love my Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwich and my Apple Chicken Salad Sandwich.

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Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Sandwich

This Pear and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad is a holiday-inspired twist on classic chicken salad, made with tender chicken, fresh pears, fennel, celery, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese, all tossed in a creamy maple Dijon dressing.

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Ingredients

Serves 2 sandwiches

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For the chicken salad:

• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
• ▢ 1 ripe but firm pear diced (Bosc or Anjou work well)
• ▢ ½ cup fennel finely shaved or diced
• ▢ ½ cup celery finely diced
• ▢ ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
• ▢ ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

For the creamy maple Dijon dressing:

• ▢ 4 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ▢ ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ▢ ¼ cup mayonnaise I like Kewpie
• ▢ Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

The rest:

• ▢ 2 ciabatta loaves
• ▢ 1 cup arugula

Instructions 

• Prepare the chicken: If using leftover or rotisserie chicken, shred or chop it into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl. If using chicken thighs, add to baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. cook on 375F for 20 minutes. When cool enough to touch, shred or chop.
• Prep the vegetables and pear: Finely dice the celery and fennel, then dice the pear into small pieces. Add everything to the bowl with the chicken.
• Make the maple Dijon dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is creamy and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Assemble the chicken salad: Add the chopped walnuts and crumbled blue cheese to the chicken mixture. Pour the maple Dijon dressing over the top and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
• Make sandwiches: Toast bread and add scoops of chicken salad. Top with a handful of arugula. Slice and enjoy!

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