Baked chicken salad pie

Ingredients

10” unbaked pie crust – Trader Joe’s frozen pie crust is a favorite with this dish.
3 c cooked chicken – diced. I use rotisserie chicken.
½ c slivered almonds – toasted in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Watch closely.
½-1 c sweet yellow onion – sautéed in 1T olive oil & 1T butter until translucent.
½ c celery – diced – sautéed with the onion until translucent.
2 T lemon juice – freshly squeezed
½ c mayonnaise – I use Hellman’s
½ c sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup or celery soup
1 small can water chestnuts – diced or sliced
½ t Parisien or Bonnes Herbs (your favorite herb can be substituted.)
½ t ground black pepper
¼ t smoked paprika – opt.
¼ t Emerils Essence – opt.
1 ½ c shredded cheese – divided in half. I use a cheddar and Gruyere combo.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the pie dough in a 10” pie plate.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with ¾ c cheese. Mix well.
Pour into the pie crust.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, sprinkle the last ¾ c cheese over the pie.
Bake 10-15 minutes more. The pie should be set in the middle and crust golden brown.
Take out of the oven and let the pie rest/cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
*Note - If you need a delicious dip, just mix all ingredients (except the pie crust, of course) together. Bake in a sprayed casserole dish for 30-40 minutes. (The dip can also be cooked in a crock pot.) Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.