Chicken Divan Casserole

There are a lot of Chicken Divan recipes floating around out there.  I've taken pieces from a few recipes and combined them into a delicious version!  I've also increased ingredients so that it makes a 9 x 13 pan size casserole.  We serve this dish over steamed, white rice.

4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cubed  (about 2 lbs)

4 cups frozen broccoli, or about 2 large heads of broccoli chopped

2 (10.75 oz) cans of Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp curry powder

4 Tbsp melted butter - divided

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Arrange cooked chicken on the bottom of the pan, followed by the broccoli.
3. Mix soup, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, curry, 2 Tbsp. melted butter, and cheddar cheese in a separate blow, and pour over the chicken and broccoli.  Mix to incorporate the sauce into the chicken and broccoli.
4. Mix together the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and 2 Tbsp melted butter in another bowl.  Top casserole with crumbs.  
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and cheese has started to brown.  Serve over steamed, white rice.

Bean, Grilled Corn, and Avocado Salad

This is one of the most filling, tasty, and pretty salads I've had in a long time!  Makes a great meal or side dish, served with some grilled chicken.  I was surprised that the avocado lasted for a few days too.  It must have been because of the lime juice and oil in the dressing!  So it makes a great left-over meal!  

Ingredients

• 1 cup halved heirloom grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 ears shucked corn
• 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 diced peeled avocados 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2. 2. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. 3. Brush corn, onion, and jalapeño evenly with oil. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill corn for 12 minutes or until lightly charred, turning after 6 minutes. Grill onion slices and jalapeño 8 minutes or until lightly charred, turning after 4 minutes. Let vegetables stand 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion. Finely chop jalapeño; discard stem. Add corn, onion, and jalapeño to tomato mixture; toss well. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and next 4 ingredients (through kidney beans) to corn mixture; toss well. Top with avocado.

David Bonom, Cooking Light 
JUNE 2012

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Five Star Recipe!

I just made this last night, and it was so good!  I modified the recipe a bit.  I made the sauce as called for below, but thought it was too thin, so I added about 4 oz. cream cheese.  You could probably add 2 Tbsp of flour to it too if you didn't have cream cheese.   I served it with yellow potatoes, boiled until soft, but egg noodles would have been good too.  The sauce tastes a lot like Alfredo sauce.  Put the chicken on top and then poor the sauce over everything.  It makes the best left-overs too!  I found the recipe at Fav Family Recipes.  WARNING:  Fattening, but oh-so delish!  

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 4 chicken breasts cut into halves (8 pieces)
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Optional: I like to pound and flatten the chicken out a little so it cooks evenly throughout.
• Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. In a skillet over medium heat cook chicken in butter until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and keep in a 9x13 pan in the oven on warm.
• Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to loosen up browned bits from pan. Stir in cream, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.

- Cami