Yummy Chicken Divan - easy comfort food out of leftovers!

 Chicken Divan

Had a bunch of leftover chicken meat from a huge chicken that Lynne roasted the night before – after looking around to see what we had in the house – decided on making Chicken Divan.  My mom used to make this all the time – and as a kid, I always thought it was pretty bland, and didn’t really care for the nutmeg she put in it….  So I thought I would ramp things up a bit.  I only used a pinch of nutmeg, and used some brandy, lemon juice and slivered almonds as well.  Came out awesome!  It is a super simple dish – it does require making a roux – which is butter and flour whisked into a thickened paste.  This is a great thing to know how to do – especially if you want to cook Cajun!

I had to use frozen broccoli – I would much prefer fresh in this dish, but hey, I was using what I had in the house.  Here is the recipe – I know it seems like a lot of ingredients…. But I was rummaging through cabinets at the time.  It really is super easy to make!

Yum, comfort food at its best!

2 cups rough chopped pre cooked chicken meat

1 package frozen broccoli – thawed in the microwave.

¼ cup chicken broth

4 tbs flour

6 tbs butter

1 small shallot

2 small cloves garlic, minced

½ sour cream

½ cup mayo

½ cup ½ and ½

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3 tbs brandy

¼ tsp thyme

1/8 stick cream cheese

1 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded swiss cheese

¼ cup slivered blanched almonds

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

In a large saute pan, saute the garlic and shallots in 2 tbs butter, add chicken and thawed broccoli and about 2/3 of the chicken broth, cover and let steam for about 2 or 3 minutes to heat through.  Remove from heat and set aside.

For the sauce, make a roux by melting 4 tbs of butter over med/low heat in a small sauce pan.  Slowly whisk in the flour a little at a time, until a smooth thick sauce results.  (if you put too much flour in, and it turns into a cookie dough consistency, whisk in a little chicken broth to loosen it up)  Stir in cream, then add the mayo, sour cream and cream cheese.  Stir until thick and smooth.  Add the brandy, about ½ of the swiss, all of the parmesan cheese, the lemon juice, thyme and nutmeg.  Stir until smooth and well mixed – do NOT boil. 

Ready to Bake!

Spread chicken/broccoli evenly

In an 8x11 baking dish, evenly spread chicken and broccoli.  Sprinkle almonds evenly.  Pour sauce over everything, covering it all, and smooth out.  Sprinkle remaining swiss, and panko bread crumbs over the top.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are crispy.  ( you can throw it under the broiler on low to speed that process up at the end)

This came out great – creamy, tasty – real comfort food!

Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!