HOT OR COLD CHICKEN SALAD ( Steve Vandergriff)

By LADONMANK

Ingredients

• 1 ) 4 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 ) 2 cups chopped celery
• 3 ) 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 ) 2 tablespoons chopped onions (dried)
• 5 ) 1 cup nuts (almonds or pecans)
• 6 ) 1 cup mayonnaise
• 7 ) 1 cup sour cream
• 8 ) 1 cup shredded American cheese
• 9 ) 1 cup of sliced mushrooms (drained)
• 10 ) 2 cups potato chips, crushed
• 11 ) Cayenne pepper
• 12 ) garlic
• 13 ) Tabasco sauce
• 14 ) salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together chicken, celery, lemon juice, chopped onions, nuts, mayonnaise, sour cream, shredded cheese and mushrooms. Place mixture in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with crushed chips. Bake in preheated over for 45 minutes or until everything is bubbling. Add the topping on the last 15 minutes. To cook the chicken for the salad, bring chicken to high simmer for about 15 minutes with onion, black peppercorns, green pepper flakes, kosher salt (about 1/2 tablespoon). Remove the chicken & strain. Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid. Let cool, then dice to desired size. Ladle some of the broth over cubes to just keep it moist. Can hold at this point. Chop the celery & onion, add to sour cream & mayonnaise, cayenne pepper to mixture. Red pepper flakes, garlic, salt & pepper. Tabasco sauce. Can hold this mixture at this point. Add the nuts & cheese to the cooked chicken, blend, and then all the wet ingredients. Taste & adjust seasonings. This salad is very good cold also.