Minnesota is the only place I know where the word ‘casserole’ is spelled ‘h-o-t-d-i-s-h’ – so if you prefer to call this a hot dish, I won’t stop you. That’s what my friend Ann calls it when she serves it to the Ladies’ Circle every year at their December gathering. It isn’t in the church cookbook. I looked. There’s one similar in there, attributed to Ann’s daughter, but it isn’t this recipe.

Ann’s Chicken and Asparagus Hot Dish (Casserole)

Butter a 9×13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine:
2 c. cooked & cubed chicken
1 c. canned asparagus, drained
1 c. diced or shredded American cheese (Velveeta works)
7 oz. Creamette wide egg noodles
1 c. cashews
1 small can mushrooms
1 small jar chopped pimientos
1 c. diced celery
1/4 c. diced onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. black olives (sliced or halved)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/c mayonnaise
Chow Mein noodles for topping.

Mix all ingredients and spread into a buttered 9×13 Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, top with enough Chow Mein noodles to cover the top and bake for 15 minutes more. Let set for five minutes after removing from oven before serving. Serves 12-14.

Serve with Sue’s Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing:

Dressing: combine 1/2 c. sugar, 1/3 c. lemon juice, 2 tsp. finely chopped onion, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, (1/2 tsp. salt) in a blender. Cover and process until blended. While blender is running, slowly add 2/3 c. vegetable oil in a steady stream and blend until dressing is thick and smooth. Add 1 T. poppy seeds and pulse to blend.

Salad: 1 large head Romaine (about 10 c. when torn into bits), 4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese, 1 c. cashews, 1/4 c. sweetened dried cranberries, 1unpeeled apple, cubed, and one unpeeled (Anjou or Bosc) pear, cubed. Toss to mix. Just prior to serving, add dressing over salad and toss to coat. 12-14 servings.