Hot Chicken Salad Casserole - A Church Supper Classic


I don't know who first thought to put French fried onions on top of a casserole, but I'd sure like to shake their hand.


There was a time when nearly every church cookbook in America had some version of hot chicken salad tucked between the baked ham recipes and molded gelatin salads. It was the kind of dish that appeared wherever people gathered around long folding tables. Church suppers. Women's club luncheons. Funeral meals. Potlucks where everyone brought their best casserole in a well-loved baking dish, hoping to return home with an empty pan.

 

Unbaked casserole with shredded cheese and crispy fried onion topping in white square baking dish.
Golden cheesy green bean casserole topped with crispy fried onions baked in a white ceramic dish.

 

Recipes like this became popular during the 1950s and 1960s, when casseroles found a permanent place in the American kitchen. After World War II, canned soups, frozen vegetables, and other convenience foods gave busy homemakers new ways to stretch a roast chicken into another family meal. Food companies printed recipes on soup labels and in magazine advertisements, and home cooks made them their own by adding favorite ingredients and passing the recipes from one generation to the next.


It's easy to understand why this one stuck around.


Every bite has something worth coming back for. Tender chicken, crisp celery, sweet peas, sharp cheddar, and slivered almonds come together in a creamy filling brightened with fresh lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Then the whole casserole is crowned with French fried onions that bake into a golden, crunchy topping no one can resist stealing before dinner reaches the table.


The smell alone is enough to bring everyone into the kitchen.

 

Unbaked casserole with shredded cheese and crispy fried onion topping in white square baking dish.

 

This is the sort of meal that belongs in a vintage Pyrex casserole dish with a basket of warm rolls nearby. Add a green salad, sliced tomatoes fresh from the garden, or a simple fruit salad, and supper is ready. It feeds hungry teenagers after football practice, grandparents spending the weekend, and neighbors who stop by for a quick visit and end up staying for dinner.


One of my favorite things about this recipe is how practical it still is. Leftover roast chicken works beautifully, and so does a grocery store rotisserie chicken. Like so many classic American casseroles, it grew out of resourcefulness. Yesterday's chicken became today's supper, and nothing was wasted if it could feed the family one more time.


I also think recipes like this deserve a second look. Mid-century casseroles are sometimes brushed aside as old-fashioned, but they were built around generosity. They were made to feed a crowd, comfort a neighbor, and make sure there was enough for anyone who happened to pull up a chair.


That kind of cooking never goes out of style.

 

Golden cheesy green bean casserole topped with crispy fried onions in a white ceramic baking dish.

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole


PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
oven temperature 375°F
SERVINGS: 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients:


  • 4 cups cooked chicken, diced
  • 1 (10 1/2 oz) can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, undiluted
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1 (6 oz) can French Fried Onions
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper until smooth.
  3. Add the cooked chicken, green onions, celery, green pepper, frozen peas, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until fully combined.
  4. Fold in the chopped almonds and most of the French fried onions, reserving a handful for the top.
  5. Spoon the mixture into a large casserole dish and spread evenly.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese over the casserole, followed by the reserved French fried onions.
  7. Cover with foil. Lightly spray the underside of the foil with nonstick cooking spray so the melted cheese does not stick while baking.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbling around the edges.

Notes From the American Table
  • Rotisserie chicken works especially well here and keeps supper simple on busy evenings.
  • Water chestnuts were a common addition to versions served at ladies’ luncheons during the 1960s and can still be added for extra crunch.
  • Serve with cranberry salad, buttered green beans, or sliced tomatoes for a supper that feels straight out of a community cookbook from the American heartland.
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about the AUTHOr

Stasia Wimmer Boschetti is an American culinary writer and the founder of American Country Living, where she writes about recipes, home, and the traditions that shape everyday American life. With more than thirty years of experience in the kitchen and a background in catering, she explores the history behind the foods we keep making and the customs that keep them in use. She is also the founder of the American Country Living General Store, offering homewares, baking goods, and provisions for everyday life at home. She lives in Texas with her husband, family, and five rescued animals, where she continues to cook, write, and keep a well-loved home.