Hot Chicken Salad

I'm not 100% sure if it's a southern thing, but I love casseroles  They're so easy - little clean-up, little fuss.  Above is a picture of my hot chicken salad at the messiest point.

This recipe below comes from www.deepsouthdish.com .  It's their "Hot Chicken Salad Casserole" recipe and I swear by it.  I've also included some edits in red that are short cuts I take to make it easier.  Interesting story - hot chicken salad was the what I ate on my first birthday and has been a favorite of mine ever since.
 
Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper (Trader Joe's has a Lemon Pepper Mill that is phenomenal)
• Pinch of dried thyme and rosemary, crushed
• 4 cups of diced cooked chicken
• 4 eggs, boiled and chopped, optional (you can buy these already boiled at the grocery store)
• 1/2 cup of minced celery*
• 1/3 cup of finely minced onion*
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• Topping (below)

* you can buy these already minced in shrink wrap or container at most grocery stores such as Giant, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise and soup; blend well. Stir in the cheddar cheese, lemon pepper, thyme and rosemary. Add the chicken, eggs, celery, onion, green onion and almonds; mix. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt only as needed, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven, add topping, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Can also add toppings at the beginning cooking time if desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!