CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

I’ve been making this chicken pasta salad forever, and to be honest, I almost forgot about it until an old friend mentioned that she makes it all the time, and that it still gets rave reviews.  Note: because there is mayonnaise in it, it needs to be kept cold in a cooler.

2 cups shell pasta

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (like Vidalia)

1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cup seedless red or green grapes

1 1/2 cups good mayo (I use Hellman’s)

Mix all ingredients together.  Allow plenty of time for the salad to be well chilled and for the flavors to blend.  Adjust salt if needed.