Chicken salad isn’t just a lunchtime staple. With this Hot Chicken Salad Bake, you can have the same classic flavor but as a heartwarming and soul-nourishing dinner! Creamy, tangy, savory chicken, with a little zest, some crunchy almonds, and crisp celery, is perfect for eating on its own or spooned onto warm rolls! There’s nothing like Hot Chicken Salad Bake to make dinner a real luxury, and in under half an hour!
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup salted almonds, roasted and coarsely chopped, divided
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup green onion, minced
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- rolls, optional, to taste, warm, for serving
- celery leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly spray an 8-inch round or square baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, the cheddar cheese, the celery, 3/4 cup of the almonds, the mayonnaise, the green onions, the sour cream, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and the pepper.
Step 4 –Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Step 5 –Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Step 6 –Sprinkle with the remaining almonds.
Step 7 –Serve with the warm rolls and garnished with the celery leaves.
