April Recipe - an Easy Favorite

I love a good, tasty, easy recipe I can make in a hurry. I also like a recipe I can make without turning on the oven, but in this case, I'll make an exception. There's nothing to compare with cheese melting and potato chips toasting on top of a bubbly casserole. My friend Kara Lennox (http://www.karalennox.com/) spent the weekend with me in Texas after attending the "Dreamin' in Dallas" conference. Kara wrote numerous books for Harlequin American and moved to California over a year ago. She now writes for Harlequin Superromance. We took a drive to the lake with another writer friend, Rebecca Russell, and then it was time to come home and fix some dinner. Sunday night I made Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad, a delicious casserole type dish that is a snap to mix together and bakes in only 20 minutes. I usually have all the ingredients I need in my refrigerator and on my shelves. I'd like to give you my version of the dish, since I modified it for (1) a single can of chuck white chicken, and (2) eating for two and maybe a little left over.

Victoria Chancellor's Version of

Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad

1 - 10 oz. can of chuck white chicken, drained
3/4 c. diced celery
1/2 c. sliced or slivered almonds
2 T minced onion or 2 t dried minced onion
3/4 c. reduced fat mayonnaise
2 t. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 c. (more or less) crushed potato chips (I use Baked Ruffles.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the first seven ingredients. Spoon into a 2 quart (approximately) casserole OR into three small individual casserole dishes. Sprinkle cheese, then potato chips, on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese melts and potato chips are toasty. The hot chicken salad will remain a little crunchy from the celery and almonds. Note: You can also make this with panko bread crumbs rather than potato chips if you prefer.

Enjoy!