Almond Topped Chicken Casserole

This is another recipe from the Food Nanny cookbook and it is great! It is a classic comfort food chicken casserole. I really like the crunch of the almonds on top and the celery in the casserole also gives it a nice texture. I served it with a quick spinach salad (spinach, Craisins, crumbled bacon, shredded Swiss cheese, and poppy seed dressing) and it was a great weekday family dinner.

Almond Topped Chicken Casserole

3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 cup small diced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a square baking dish or a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Place almonds in a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat until almonds start to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, celery, onion, and rice. In a separate bowl combine lemon juice, soup, mayo, and chicken broth; pour over chicken mixture and stir well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Mix together cracker crumbs, almonds, and butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.