Test Kitchen Approved

Just-Trust-Me Bake

Name: Just-Trust-Me Bake
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/2 cup almonds, slivered; 4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped; 1/4 cup onion, chopped; 2 cups celery, sliced; 1/4 cup pimiento pepper, drained and chopped; 8 ounces water chestnuts, drained and sliced; 4 1/2 ounces mushrooms, drained and sliced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup sour cream; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 cup potato chips, crushed; 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Chicken Casserole Diner-Style

Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

About

Back in the day, our granny used to feed us things that, to be honest, we thought sounded really weird. She would put our filled plates in front of us, our noses would start to wrinkle, and she'd say, "Just trust me." That happened numerous times over our younger years, and usually, what she made us we ended up loving. So, as we got older, we decided to name our favorite dish of hers the Just-Trust-Me Bake, just to be silly. With one bite, you'll understand our eternal affinity for this creamy, cheesy chicken bake. It has the perfect amount of salty crunch, and it'll make your kitchen smell pretty lovely, too. Make granny proud and help us honor her with her forever famous and delicious Just-Trust-Me Bake!

Ingredients

1/2 cup almonds, slivered
4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cups celery, sliced
1/4 cup pimiento pepper, drained and chopped
8 ounces water chestnuts, drained and sliced
4 1/2 ounces mushrooms, drained and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup potato chips, crushed
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.

Step 3 -In a shallow oven-safe pan, bake the almonds until toasted, about 5-10 minutes.

Step 4 -In a large bowl, stir the toasted almonds, the chicken, the onion, the celery, the pimiento, the water chestnuts, the mushrooms, the salt, and the pepper together.

Step 5 -In a separate bowl, stir 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, the mayonnaise, the sour cream, and the lemon juice together until blended.

Step 6 -Stir the chicken mixture into the cheese mixture.

Step 7 -Spread the casserole filling into the prepared baking dish.

Step 8 -Sprinkle the top of casserole with the remaining cheddar cheese, the potato chip crumbs, and the parmesan cheese.

Step 9 -Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Step 10 -Serve.

Explore More Favorites