Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

I've seen a bunch of recipes that riff on the traditional chicken salad, but serving hot chicken salad for dinner is relatively new. There are recipes out there for you to try if you don't like mine. But, seriously, how can you not like mine, right? This one is taste-tested by my harshest food critic, DH. (Well, not really. But he does tell me what he likes and what he doesn't.)

As you know from previous posts, I always have cooked chicken available to make a wide-range of quick meals. This one, because it makes a big casserole, uses four cups of that chicken you tucked into the freezer, making it good to clear out space as you feed a crowd. I know at the beginning I said I wouldn't fill up this month with casseroles, the original one-pan-meals option, but I had to make an exception for this tasty one. 

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off. You make two mixtures you toss together. This takes mere minutes to assemble, then sit back and enjoy the aroma of a baking chicken casserole. Dinner is all but done!

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole (serves 6-8)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

4 ½ ounces mushrooms, cut into pieces

2 cups celery, in small chunks

½ cup onion, diced

¼ cup pimiento, diced

8 ounces water chestnuts, sliced

½ teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 cup potato chips, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl, mix well one cup cheddar, cheese, mayonnaise, plain yogurt, and lemon juice. Set aside. 

In large bowl, mix well the chicken, mushrooms, celery, onion, pimiento, water chestnuts, and salt and pepper. 

Add sauce to chicken mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Put mixture in greased 13"x9” pan and top with remaining cheddar cheese and potato

chips.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve immediately.

DH's Rating: 5 Tongues Up

"This is filling!"

"Yeah, I know, but do you like it?"

"It's good. Really rich tasting. This isn't a diet food, right?"

You got it, Big Boy!