Classic Carol‑Style Chicken Salad (TikTok - My Way)

 

A creamy, simple chicken salad inspired by the viral Classic Carol trend - tender shredded chicken, crisp celery, and real mayo seasoned just right. Perfect for sandwiches, melts, salads, or snacking straight from the fridge.

Classic Carol‑Style Chicken Salad (TikTok - My Way)

If you spend any time on TikTok, you’ve probably seen the viral “Classic Carol” chicken salad recreations inspired by Chicken Salad Chick. We actually do have one in town, but I’ve yet to make it there and eat any of their many versions myself, so this isn’t meant to be a perfect copycat. It's just my take on that clean, creamy, simple chicken salad everyone seems to love.

I’m calling it Classic Carol‑Style Chicken Salad (TikTok - My Way), because it’s inspired by the social media chatter, shaped by the ingredients folks swear by, and finished the way I like it: tender shredded chicken, crisp celery, real mayo, and just enough seasoning to make everything hum. It’s different from my usual “classic” chicken salad that leans Southern deli‑style with boiled eggs and pickle relish and the one that I make the most, but every bit as comforting and versatile.

How to get through the holidays without a can of cream of mushroom soup using a homemade version.

Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup Substitute

Now if y'all have been reading this recipe site for long, you already know that I am fully endeared to my Campbell's condensed soups and most especially our beloved shortcut southern béchamel (that's Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup for those of y'all with a more sophisticated palate). I have several that are pantry staples around here.

Known as a Suddenly Salad copycat, this pasta salad made with small shell pasta, ranch seasoning mix, peas, carrots and mayonnaise, is a well loved dish for any potluck, church supper or other gathering.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This recipe for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is pretty much the same one floating around the internet everywhere for what they call a Suddenly Salad copycat, with a few of my own twists of course!

I honestly used to love that boxed stuff when I was younger - so quick, easy and good - but it's been so long since I actually had pasta salad out of the box {not that there's a thing wrong with that}, that I can't even tell you if this tastes anywhere near the original. It is definitely another good one to add to the repertoire of pasta salads here, even if it's not so photogenic.

Kraft Garlic Cheese Roll Substitute

Oh the lament across the net a few years back when Kraft decided to discontinue the garlic cheese roll! Didn't Kraft realize that while it may not have been a big seller throughout the year, thousands upon thousands of cooks across the country used that roll of garlic cheese to make their holiday broccoli cheese casserole, spinach casserole, garlic cheese biscuits, cheese balls, stove-top garlic cheese grits, and baked cheese grits, who knows what else?!

Well, I was not a user of the famous cheese roll, but in researching this topic for my readers, I ran across a tidbit that said a grocery store manager was told by the folks at Kraft, that the squirt cheese product called Easy Cheese Roasted Garlic Cheddar flavor, was actually the same exact product contained in the roll, 1 can equal to 1 roll.