Crispy Chicken Casserole

This chicken casserole is a time capsule from the golden age of American potluck cooking. Diced cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, mayo, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and walnuts get mixed together and baked under a blanket of crushed potato chips that turns golden and crunchy in the hot oven.

The combination of mayo and cream of chicken soup creates a binding sauce that’s rich and creamy without making a separate bechamel. Lemon juice cuts through all that richness and keeps it from tasting heavy. It’s a small addition you’d never identify in the finished dish, but without it the casserole tastes flat.

Crushed potato chips as a casserole topping might sound retro, but they actually work better than breadcrumbs here. They bring their own salt and fat, they crisp up faster at the high 450°F (230°C) baking temperature, and they add a potato chip flavor that breadcrumbs simply can’t match.

Kitchen Tips

• Use pre-cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken works perfectly and saves an hour of cooking and cooling time.
• Crush the potato chips coarsely, not to powder. You want crunchy shards on top, not a fine dust that turns into paste.
• The casserole bakes at high heat for just 15 to 20 minutes. Everything inside is already cooked, so you’re just heating through and crisping the top.
• Don’t add the chips until right before baking. Sitting in the fridge on top of a wet filling turns them soggy.

Variations

• Swap walnuts for sliced almonds or pecans for a different nut texture.
• Add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese mixed into the filling for a cheesier version.
• Replace cream of chicken with cream of mushroom soup and add sautéed mushrooms for an earthy twist.