Hot Chicken Salad Casserole {Retro Recipe}

by Dorothy Reinhold on July 20, 2019


Print This Post Print This Post Hot Chicken Salad is a retro mid-century recipe that will charm you with its simplicity. Traditional chicken salad ingredients are combined in a bubbly casserole, topped with a crunchy potato chip and almond crust.

Hot Chicken Salad is a retro mid-century recipe that will charm you with its simplicity. Traditional chicken salad ingredients are combined in a bubbly casserole, topped with a crunchy potato chip and almond crust. Close your eyes and you will be transported back in time.

I must been living under a rock, because I had never heard of Hot Chicken Salad, or eaten it. Have you?

A big spoonful of Retro Hot Chicken SaladApparently it was a popular entree back in the day at women’s luncheons, club meetings, church socials, reunions and potlucks, and when I saw a mention of it on my friend Hung Le’s Facebook page, I knew I had to make it. Apparently he and his then-fiance, now-wife Corinne made it for guests at their wedding rehearsal dinner in 1989, from a recipe that was a signature dish of their host. The world turns, as it does, and now, 3 decades later, Hung made it for the pre-wedding dinner of another young couple about to be married. That’s the kind of charming full-circle ritual that makes me happy to hear about.

Hot chicken salad recipe from Stephanie Carr of Arkansas in an old cookbookHere’s the recipe they followed (above), and it comes from a community cookbook called “Favorite Recipes” from the Associated Women for Harding (University) in Searcy, Arkansas.  Favorite Recipes cookbook from Associated Women of Harding University in Searcy ArkansasA little Googling led me to discover that the submitter, Stephanie Carr, was from Searcy (she died in 2015 at the age of 93.) It may have originally been a Southern Living Magazine recipe…who knows?

I can see why this recipe has stood the test of time — it’s comforting, a hot and bubbling casserole version of your favorite chicken salad, and a taste of home for many people.

How to make Hot Chicken Salad

It’s easy!

Poaching chicken thighs for Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comPoach the chicken. It doesn’t look lovely while it’s cooking, but it produces tender chicken. The recipe calls for breasts, but I used thighs (boneless, skinless) because I think they have more chicken flavor. Suit yourself.

Chop celery for Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comQuickly chop celery and onion. You could use green onions if you like, instead, or shallots. The original recipe calls for a tiny amount of grated onion, but grating onion seems like a technique of yore to me.

Avocado Oil Mayo by Better Body Foods on ShockinglyDelicious.comMayo is the binder in this recipe. I’m using Avocado Oil Mayo from Better Body Foods, which has been my favorite for several years. It has a wonderful flavor and mouthfeel, uses cage-free eggs and rich-tasting avocado oil, is non-GMO, gluten-free (of course!) and has no soy (for those who are watching ingredients). {The company sent me a sample for recipe development use.}

Chopping chicken for Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comDice the chicken when it is cool enough to handle.

Ingredients for Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comMix everything in a big bowl.

Scrape Hot Chicken Salad into a casserole dish on ShockinglyDelicious.comScrape into your casserole baking dish. The recipe didn’t call for greasing the dish, so I didn’t. And there was no problem scooping out of the dish after baking, because the mayo has plenty of fat. Suit yourself, though. Spray if you want to.

Sprinkle Cheddar Cheese on the Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comSprinkle the top with cheese and crushed potato chips. Don’t even consider leaving these off. I mean it. Don’t make me come over to your house and bash those chips for you. Pro tip: Lay’s makes a lower-salt chip that I like a little too much, but feel free to use either regular potato chips or a lower-salt version. It’s going to be good either way.

Baked Hot Chicken Salad on ShockinglyDelicious.comBaked…call everyone to the table!

Substitution ideas and tweaks for Hot Chicken Salad

This casserole takes well to tweaking, so consider any of the following ideas. I hope by now you know how much I enjoy tweaking a recipe!

1. Additions to the mixture before baking:

  • A finely diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper.
  • A handful of dried cranberries.
  • A peeled, cored, diced apple.
  • Two hard-boiled eggs, chopped.
  • Sliced green onions (scallions) instead of regular onions.
  • 8 ounces of sliced water chestnuts, drained, for more crunch.
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon, or 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice.
  • Frozen peas, thawed.
  • 3 slices of cooked crisp bacon, chopped or crumbled
  • Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken yourself, to speed things up. This will add more sodium, so watch your salt levels elsewhere in the recipe.
  • Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken.

2. Topping ideas

  • French-fried onions instead of crushed potato chips.
  • Ruffled potato chips instead of plain.
  • Use all the Cheddar in the casserole, and top with 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan before baking.
  • Crushed butter crackers (like Ritz) instead of potato chips. Or saltines.
  • Panko or breadcrumbs instead of potato chips.
  • Crushed bagged croutons instead of potato chips.

3. Serving ideas

  • Stuff it into a tomato: Set a tomato in a salad bowl, cut crosswise with 2 deep cuts like you are making an X but don’t cut all the way through, fan out the quarters and stuff a big scoop of this casserole in the tomato.
  • Serve it over rice, for a heartier meal. (Teenager alert!)

What to serve with Hot Chicken Salad

  1. Fruit salad
  2. A fresh green salad
  3. Steamed broccoli or green beans
  4. A light dessert

Hot Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 6-8.

Hot Chicken Salad

Hot Chicken Salad is a retro mid-century recipe that will charm you with its simplicity. Traditional chicken salad ingredients are combined in a bubbly casserole, topped with a crunchy potato chip and almond crust. Close your eyes and you will be transported back in time.

Ingredients

  • 3 whole chicken breasts (or I used 6-8 boneless, skinless thighs)
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple rings in juice, drained and chopped (optional and not in original recipe; this is Dorothy's wildcard addition)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Reserved chicken broth
  • 1/4-1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions

  1. Turn oven on to 450F degrees.
  2. Put chicken breasts in a pot and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes, covered, until cooked. (Depending on whether you use bone-in or boneless, breasts or thighs, your chicken might be done at the 15-minute mark. It should read 165F degrees on an instant-read thermometer you have inserted deep into the flesh.) When chicken is done, remove from pot and reserve the broth. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice. There should be 2-3 cups diced chicken.
  3. While chicken is cooking, add the following to a large mixing bowl: celery, onion, garlic, 2/3 of the grated cheese and mayo. Add the pineapple if you are using it, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add diced chicken and stir. Taste for seasoning, and add another pinch of salt if it needs it; remember that the rest of the cheese and potato chips are going on top, so they will naturally add more salt.
  4. Scrape into an 11- by 7-inch baking dish. Pour 1/3-1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth over everything, and sprinkle on remaining grated cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on almond and potato chips, and return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and serve.
  6. Serves 6.

Notes

Recipe source: Stephanie Carr of Searcy, Arkansas--> Nancy Lavender O'Neal --> Hung Le, of Malibu, Calif.

Recipe tweak suggestions: --Add a finely diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper to the mixture before baking. --Add 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, to the mixture before baking. --Add 8 ounces of sliced water chestnuts, drained, for more crunch. --Add grated zest of 1 lemon to the mixture. --Add frozen peas to the mixture. --For a new serving idea, set a tomato in a salad bowl, cut crosswise with 2 deep cuts like you are making an X but don't cut all the way through, fan out the quarters and stuff a big scoop of this casserole in the tomato. --Use rotisserie chicken to speed up the prep. --Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey --Top it with French-fried onions instead of crushed potato chips.

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/hot-chicken-salad/

pin this please!Pin the image below for Hot Chicken Salad ⇓ to your Pinterest board to save this recipe

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole on ShockinglyDelicious.comHere are another couple of Le family recipes you might like

Hung and his wife are famous in our community for feeding hordes of sports teams, student and church groups, and throwing open their doors for an annual dessert party.

    1. Hung Le and his famous fried spaghetti on ShockinglyDelicious.comTry Hung Le’s Famous Noodles
    2. Spiced Zucchini BreadTry Corinne Le’s Spiced Zucchini Bread
    3. Cookie Dough Truffles Try Corinne Le’s Cookie Dough Truffles

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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }

Liz @ Books n' Cooks August 30, 2020 at 4:12 am

I have never heard of this but my husband grew up on casseroles – I have no doubt he’d love it.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 30, 2020 at 8:42 am

Liz,
It is definitely family-approved!

Reply

Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck August 29, 2020 at 7:05 am

This is one recipe that I just can’t wait to try! So easy too…perfect for a busy weeknight!!!

Reply

Amy (Savory Moments) August 29, 2020 at 4:53 am

I love these kind of retro recipes – they are always fun and delicious! This looks like something the whole family would enjoy.

Reply

Karen August 28, 2020 at 9:03 pm

I’ve been living under a rock too! I’ve never heard of this and now I need it in my life.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 30, 2020 at 8:43 am

Karen,
I hadn’t really heard of it either. Maybe it’s more regional, and it wasn’t a So Cal thing for us? My husband saw a photo of this on the blog and said, “Oh, will you make that chicken thing again?”

Reply

Hezzi-D August 28, 2020 at 5:49 pm

My mom used to make a casserole like this but I haven’t had it in years. I need to give this a try.

Reply

Pamela Orange November 18, 2019 at 10:38 pm

This came out nice I sub the grapes for cranberries and bits of fine chopped apples left the almonds. Easy and filling

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold November 19, 2019 at 3:36 am

Pamela,
I am a big recipe tweaker, so your sub of cranberries sounds great!

Reply

Renee Goerger August 11, 2019 at 10:43 am

This chicken salad is to-die-for! I love the potato chip topping because it really takes this hot chicken salad to another level!!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 11, 2019 at 6:52 pm

Renee,
Thanks! It was shockingly good to us, too!

Reply

Erica August 1, 2019 at 10:52 am

You had me at potato chips. I put them in all of my sandwiches, so why not on top of chicken salad?! Yum!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold August 11, 2019 at 7:41 am

Erica,
Why not?

Reply

Toni | Boulder Locavore July 25, 2019 at 6:50 pm

It looks so filling! Perfect meal any night!

Reply

Ashley July 25, 2019 at 5:48 am

This chicken recipe is amazing!

Reply

Jade July 24, 2019 at 2:45 pm

A recipe the whole family will love, this looks so good!!

Reply

Kimberly July 23, 2019 at 9:39 pm

I love casseroles like this, it sounds delicious!

Reply

Susan Dubose July 23, 2019 at 9:01 pm

Look very delicious! I like it! The instructions in your post are very useful for me! Thanks for your post!

Reply

Richard Tunner July 23, 2019 at 8:43 pm

My family loves this dish-even my four year old. I’ve never really liked hot mayonaise, but it’s delicious in this recipe.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold July 25, 2019 at 1:16 pm

Richard,
It’s surprisingly delicious, isn’t it?

Reply

Beth Pierce July 23, 2019 at 12:51 pm

This was such a robust recipe; all the flavors balance perfectly together! Looking forward to making this again later this week!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold July 25, 2019 at 1:15 pm

Beth,
I am so glad you liked it! YAY!

Reply

Amy July 23, 2019 at 10:41 am

Wow! What a great addition to my menu this week!

Reply

Sara Welch July 23, 2019 at 9:59 am

What a savory recipe, indeed! Served this for dinner and it has instantly become a family favorite recipe in our home! Delicious!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold July 25, 2019 at 1:16 pm

Sara,
So glad your fam liked it! My son just asked for it again, too!

Reply

Catalina July 23, 2019 at 5:37 am

Looks like the perfect Sunday dish! This will be a new favorite!

Reply

Hadia July 22, 2019 at 2:19 pm

I so much love the crunch on the top, looks so yummy and such a great comfort food and a brilliant idea!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold July 22, 2019 at 9:03 pm

Hadia,
That potato chip and almond topping is DA BOMB!

Reply

Chrissie Baker July 22, 2019 at 1:27 pm

Look very delicious! I like it! The instructions in your post very useful with me! Thanks your post!

Reply

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