Make It : Chicken Divan

This is a throw-together, use-what-you’ve-got dinner that makes great lunchtime leftovers. Not exactly low-fat, but great for those evenings where it’s cold and snowy and you just want something warm and homey. If you don’t have exact amounts, don’t stress – use what you’ve got.

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 4-6 cups shredded chicken
16-20 ounces (1-2 packages) frozen or about 3-4 cups fresh broccoli (this is about 1-2 medium-sized bunches)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing/Miracle Whip – to cut down on fat, use low-fat mayonnaise. Miracle whip just adds a bit more tang to the recipe – I prefer it. You can vary the amount of this up or down by about 1/4 cup – if you’re using less, make up for it with a bit more sour cream or wine.
1 cup sour cream – same goes here – you can vary this by up to 1/4 cup – just make up for it with mayo.
1 – 2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 – 1 cup white wine Feel free to cut this out if you are staying away from alcohol – just replace it with some milk or chicken broth.
1 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter

In a deep frying pan or wide saucepan, cover two chicken breasts with water (if you have it, add a cube of bullion or teaspoon of chicken stock). Place over medium-high heat. Let the water reach a boil, and poach chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until cutting into the thickest part of the breast reveals no pink.

Set poached chicken on a plate and allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it. (In the fridge, if you’re in a hurry) Shred or roughly chop the chicken – don’t worry about making it look pretty.

If using fresh broccoli, use a paring knife to trim into small chunks. Dump into boiling water for 3-5 minutes, or until the broccoli is a bright green and still has some crunch to it. If it’s still around, use the water you poached the chicken in – one less dish to wash, and the water should still be hot.

If using frozen broccoli, pour into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on medium power for 3-5 minutes, or until defrosted.

In a separate, large bowl, whisk or stir together the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, and wine. Add the chicken and broccoli and mix together until combined.

Cover a 9 x 11 pan with foil (a single layer if you are baking this right away, a triple layer if you will be freezing this) and spray with nonstick spray. Dump the chicken mixture into the pan and spread evenly.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter by microwaving 30 seconds on high power. Stir in with the bread crumbs. Spread buttered bread crumbs over the chicken mixture.

To bake right away, place in a 350-degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until it’s hot and bubbly.

To freeze, lay another piece of foil across the top and turn the pan over. Wrap securely and place in the freezer. When the time comes to bake it, your foil package should fit perfectly into your pan – just take the top layer of foil off, heat the oven to 350 and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

This is another recipe that is practically made for experimentation. Some of my favorite variations are adding parmesean cheese to the bread crumbs, adding a teaspoon of curry powder to the sauce, using cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken, adding a few tablespoons lemon juice, throwing in a few tablespoons of pimentos, and using colby jack cheese instead of cheddar.