Chew on This | Hot Chicken Salad

I have a recipe box filled with life savers...recipes I  know and trust to be delicious and fail proof.  Little gems that I can whip up when guests are coming or I am asked to contribute a "take to" dish. 

Hot Chicken Salad is one of these crowd pleasers...warm and homey, guaranteed to leave your guests feeling very welcomed.  


It's easy to prepare (you do it the day ahead and bake it the day of) leaving you time to join in the fun.

 

 And it's sorta cheesy too - who doesn't love cheese?

This is what you will need to make Hot Chicken Salad:

Cooked chicken, good sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, onions, celery, white bread,
milk, butter, a can of mushroom soup, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. 
Optional: green peppers and toasted garlic bread crumbs.

First thing I do is finely chop the onion and the celery and cut the crust off of 16 slices of bread.

Next, butter a 9x13" casserole dish and cover the bottom with one layer of buttered
bread - both sides.  Yes, it is better with butter.

Cut your cooked chicken (grilled or sauted) into nice chunks.  Combine the chunks of
chicken with the finely chopped onion and celery.  Add the mayonnaise and stir it up.

Spread the chicken mixture out over the buttered bread slices.

Cover the chicken with another layer of buttered bread.  Buttering the top and bottom of your bread is your choice. I do both, of course.

In a small bowl combine the eggs with the milk and whisk until blended.

Pour milk over the bread, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to bake, cover the top of the casserole with 1 can of cream of

mushroom soup.  Recover with the foil and into the oven it goes.  Bake at 350℉ for

for 45 minutes.

Almost done...now you add the good stuff...the cheese, the yummy, gooey cheese.   Sprinkle

it all over the top and return the dish to the oven for about 10 more minutes. 

Just before serving you can dust the gooey cheese top with toasted garlic bread crumbs...

you'll find this dish is so warm and comforting and so will your family or guests.   Enjoy!

  Mimi

Here is the recipe:

Hot Chicken Salad

1 8 oz pkg of good sharp cheddar cheese, grated 

1 loaf of white bread, crusts trimmed 

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

½ cup diced celery

¾ cup onion, thinly chopped

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1½ cup milk

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Butter

Optional: ½ cup diced green pepper

Optional: toasted garlic buttered bread crumbs to garnish the top

Butter bottom and sides of a large casserole dish. (9x13 dish). Butter

one (or both) sides of enough bread slices to cover the bottom of dish,

and put a buttered side down.

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, green peppers, celery, onion,

mayonnaise, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and spread

on top of the bread. Butter enough bread to cover the top of the

chicken mixture and put buttered side down. Again, you can butter

both sides of the bread. Cover all the gaps with bread.

Beat eggs slightly and add the milk. Pour this mixture over the

casserole. Cover with foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Before baking, pour the undiluted cream of mushroom soup over the

casserole and cover with foil and bake at 350℉ for 45 minutes.

After baking, sprinkle 8 oz of good grated cheddar cheese on top and bake

another 10-15 minutes, uncovered. (If desired, add toasted garlic

bread crumbs to the top)