Mustard and mayonnaise make a stellar combination.
So there should be no surprise when I tell you that I used both while making this chicken salad.
A Blast From The Past
When I was growing up, my friends & I would walk to Mario’s Deli II whenever we could for some Italian subs.
I remember one day we had no school, my friend Kathleen was devouring a meatball sub while I enjoyed Joey’s sub with all the fixin’s (plus any upgrades I could afford to add).


I was a huge fan of the occasional sub all through college. Jeff & I would stop at Subway for a quick lunch but there was always a huge difference in quality when it came to their subs and those at Mario’s.
At Mario’s Deli the bread was softer, the meat tasted better, everything was just so much more fresh.
Mario’s Deli Inspired Chicken Salad
You know how some flavors just stick with you?
I had recently roasted a whole chicken and had some meat leftover. It was time for lunch, so I went to the fridge and pulled out the leftover chicken and started throwing things in a bowl.
When I mixed everything together and took a taste, the first thing that came to mind was that Mario’s Deli sub I used to enjoy. Not the bread, but the innards that made up the sandwich.
The creamy mix that mayonnaise and mustard create just finished off the flavors of this chicken salad.

Not All Mayonnaise Is Created Equal
Majority of packaged mayonnaise is made using canola, soybean or vegetable oil and those are things we try not to consume. For that reason, Jeff & I cut mayo out of our diet for the longest time.
I would occasionally make a big batch of homemade mayo which we would mostly use up by making egg salad or tuna salad. There was typically not much left after that.
Now that Primal Kitchen Foods makes a paleo mayonnaise, we are able to stock up on shelf-stable mayo. And with mayo on hand in our pantry again, I’ve been able to play around and make recipes like this chicken salad.
You can find the Primal Blueprint avocado mayo available on Amazon, though it’s more expensive there than if you order from Thrive Market or directly from Primal Blueprint.