Noodles À La Choy

A few weeks ago, Grace at A Southern Grace did a posting on a little treat made with chow mein noodles. It reminded me how much I used to love those things; I ate them by the handful just like peanuts. Got my hand swatted for it too. Anyway, Grace surprised me by turning them into a sweet. Who would have thought?

It also brought to mind a recipe I used to make quite a bit for my family: Hot Chicken Salad. And guess what's on top? You got it... those buttery, crunchy chow mein noodles. A neighbor gave me the recipe years ago. She said she found it in one of her many Junior League cookbooks. (Those cookbooks are gems; they're filled to the brim with tried and true family recipes.) This was a really popular dish years ago, exactly the kind I like to revisit or reinvent. So I dug it out of my file and made it for dinner a couple weeks ago. The dish was as good as I remembered...crunchy, cheesy and oh my I still love those Chinese fried noodles on top. It's been a long time since I made this so I worried the noodles would get too brown during baking, but they seem to get even more crunchy and buttery.  I'm giving you the basic recipe; you can improvise to your heart's delight!

Hot Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked and diced (see note below)

2 cups celery, diced

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced

1/4 cup pimento, sliced

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons grated onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chow mein noodles

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

Mix chicken, celery, almonds, water chestnuts and pimento together in a bowl. Blend mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper. Toss together and put in casserole. Top with cheese and sprinkle with the noodles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Note: The Barefoot Contessa knows how to make perfect chicken for a chicken salad. I copied down her directions and have been making it that way ever since. She was right. The chicken is perfectly done, nicely seasoned and delicious. If you aren't using leftover chicken or turkey for this recipe, here are the directions for some nice juicy chicken breasts:

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub olive oil all over them. Sprinkly generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in a 350° oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly. Remove meat from the bones and discard skin.