GRAMMY’S HOT CHICKEN SALAD CASSEROLE

KENNAH MASON (Franklin, Tennessee) and her brothers have fond memories growing up in Texas and visiting their grandmother and great-grandmother in Lewisville, Texas, and climbing as high as they could on the big tree in their backyard. Their grandmother is LINDA TURMAN, a.k.a. Grammy, and their great-grandmother is BILLIE BUSHONG, a.k.a. Honey. Kennah shares, “When I would come into the house, they were always in the kitchen together, chatting away, but they would stop just long enough to say, ‘There she is!’ or ‘Why, hello there, peanut,’ or my favorite was when they called me ‘little britches.’ Once, during my junior year of college, Grammy and Honey drove all the way from Dallas, Texas, to watch me cheer at an Ohio State football game in Columbus, where I attended school. Honey was eighty-eight at the time, but she stuck it out and stayed the entire game!”

4 cups chopped chicken

4 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped

2 cups diced celery

1 cup sliced water chestnuts

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cooking spray

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 ⅓ cups crushed potato chips

1 In a large bowl combine the chicken, eggs, celery, water chestnuts, onion, mayonnaise, salt, seasoned salt, and lemon juice.

2 Lightly spray a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Spoon the chicken mixture into the prepared dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese and crushed potato chips on top of the casserole. Bake for about 35 minutes or until bubbling hot.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS.