Chip Chicken Casserole

This chicken casserole is pure mid-century potluck nostalgia: cooked chicken mixed with celery, blanched almonds, and grated onion in a cream of chicken soup and sour cream base, topped with shredded cheese and crushed potato chips, then baked until bubbling.

The sauce comes together without any cooking. Cream of chicken soup blended with sour cream and lemon juice creates a tangy, creamy binder that coats everything evenly. The lemon juice is the unsung hero here. It cuts through the richness of the soup and sour cream and keeps the whole casserole from tasting heavy and one-note.

A full cup of blanched almonds gives this more substance than your typical church-supper casserole. They stay crunchy even after baking, creating pockets of texture against the soft chicken and celery.

The potato chip topping is the whole personality of this dish. Crushed chips bake up into a salty, greasy, golden crust that crunches when you scoop through it. Cheese melts underneath the chips, gluing everything together.

Kitchen Tips

• Use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken for the fastest prep. Shred or cube it into bite-sized pieces
• Crush the potato chips coarsely, not to powder. You want visible chip pieces for texture
• Don’t stir after adding the cheese and chips. The layers need to stay on top
• This assembles in minutes and can sit in the fridge for a few hours before baking if you need to prep ahead

Variations

• Broccoli chicken chip: Add 2 cups of steamed broccoli florets to the chicken mixture for a vegetable boost
• Ritz cracker topping: Swap the potato chips for crushed buttered Ritz crackers for a slightly sweeter, more refined crunch