Ingredients needed:
* 3/4 cup of coarsely crushed potato chips
* 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
* 6 cups of chopped cooked chicken
* 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 cups of chopped celery (4 stalks)
* 1 cup of chopped red and/or yellow sweet pepper
* 1/4 cup of sliced green onions
* 1 can of cream of chicken soup
* 1 cup of mayonnaise
* 1 8-ounce carton of sour cream
* 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or basil, crushed
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* Sourdough bread slices, toasted (optional)
* Coarsely crushed potato chips (optional)
* 1 recipe for Caramelized Red Onion (optional) (See below)
Preparation steps:
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the 3/4 cup crushed potato chips and the pecans; set aside.
* In a large bowl, stir together chicken, cheese, celery, sweet pepper, and green onions. In a medium bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, thyme, and black pepper. Pour soup mixture over chicken mixture; fold gently to combine. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with potato chip mixture.
* Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges. If desired, serve on toasted bread and top with additional crushed chips and/or Caramelized Red Onion.
Recipe for Caramelized Red Onion: Cut 1 small red onion into thin wedges. In a small saucepan, cook onion, covered, in 1 tablespoon hot butter over low heat about 15 minutes or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally
