Chick-fil-a Carrot Raisin Salad

When I find an item at a restaurant that I love, I order it just about every time i go. Especially when I am in a hurry, which is practically always. But for some reason, restaurants seem to love to discontinue my favorite menu item.

I fell in love with Chick-fil-a’s Carrot Raisin salad the first time I tried it. It has been my go-to takeout choice for years. I’d seriously order a big bowl of this salad as my meal. And then out of nowhere….they stopped selling it. What?! The best thing on your menu (next to the not-paleo lemonade milkshake, which was also discontinued) and you stop selling it?!

Thankfully for me, I just so happened to work at Chick-fil-a in highschool. I worked in the front, running the registers. I worked on the line with my spanish-speaking amigos. Grande papas fritas por favor?  And I worked in the kitchen. I have made many a bucket of this carroty deliciousness. So I know precisely how to mix some up at home.

And because Chick-fil-a is now depriving you of your veggies, and because I love you, I will share.

Being my first job, I have a lot of fun memories working at my local Dwarf House. I remember distinctly the display of styrofoam cups hanging overhead the registers that my co-workers and I would stuff to the brim with our clock-in sheets. On my first day, I earned the nickname “Heather Me”, which became stamped on my name plate. My name at the time “Heather Merriman” would not fit on the screen.

I had the pleasure of working with one of my best friends, Kristin, with whom I got into quite a bit of mischief. For instance, one day we decided to fill up a catering box full of random condiments and tie a balloon around it, and we handed it to a man through the drive through window declaring that he was our 100th customer. We also had a lovely little pet T-Rex, appropriately named Rexy, who lived on top of my register next to the tip jar.

These were the days of my punk/scene phase. I had once been told I couldn’t clock in until I removed my dark nail polish. I had even been instructed to die my hair one color, because I had too much going on. But I loved my job. And I was proud to be a Chick-fil-A employee. I even wore my tag outside of work.

Those were the good ol’ days. I will never forget my experiences walking around in a cow suit, getting locked in the walk-in freezer, and dropping a million styrofoam cups at the drive-through window. Good times.

Now here is what you came for.

Chick-fil-a Carrot Raisin Salad – made paleo

Ingredients:

• 4 C shredded carrots
• 1 C diced pineapple, with juice
• 1 C raisins
• 3/4 C homemade mayo
• 1 TB honey
• 1 TB lemon juice

Directions:

• Add carrots, pineapple and raisins to a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, honey, and lemon juice.
• Pour dressing over the carrot mixture and toss.
• Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour for best flavor.