Girls Night Out

Hot Chicken Salad

It was my turn to take dinner to book club this week. I chose a recipe I've used many times for luncheons, but I had not made it in years. There are many variations on hot chicken salad—all good—but this is the one I always use. I cooked the chicken and the eggs (in the Instant Pot) the night before. I had the celery scrubbed and ready to chop. Then the next afternoon, it was quite simple to stir it together.

I think I might have told the girls that I would make something healthy for this week. Well. I left off the sour cream muffins that I usually serve with this hot salad. That counts for something, doesn't it? Here is the luncheon menu my mother and I used many times...Hot Chicken Salad, Cranberry Frosty Salad, *Roasted Asparagus, and Sour Cream Muffins.

I made a double recipe this time so that I would have plenty for the girls and some to leave some for Daddy-O's supper. I put three-fourths of the double recipe in a 9x13-inch baking dish. And then I filled a small 1-qt. baking dish to leave at home.

HOT CHICKEN SALAD

 2-3 cups cut up cooked chicken
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans (optional)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. Put into an oblong 2-qt baking dish. (Spray with PAM for easy clean up.)
Bake at 350º for 30 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges.


I was surprised that several of the ladies in our group had never had hot chicken salad of any kind. This was a recipe from my kitchen archives and I thought it was pretty common years ago. I did take a few minutes yesterday to do a Google search for other hot chicken salad recipes. Sour cream instead of cream soup. Mayonnaise only. Crumb topping or not. Now I want to try some of the others

*ROASTED ASPARAGUS

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and tough ends trimmed off

olive oil

House Seasoning (or salt & pepper)

Lay asparagus spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. (I use my hands and roll the spears around to coat with oil.) Sprinkle with house seasoning. Roast in hot oven (400-425 degrees) for 18-20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.