Chicken Divan
(Picture Coming)
I’ve been making this dish for years and it is easily one of my absolute favorites. When I was away in college in Philadelphia, my mom would bring this to me whenever she visited and while the smell made everyone in my room run out, it was that taste of home that I so craved.
It is no secret that my mother is one of the best cooks around. She’s always been the inspiration in all of my cooking and let’s face it, most of my recipes are hers or at least based on hers. I try to add a more technical element to the recipes and sometime it makes a difference while other times it ruins the very dish I’m trying to create. Either way, this dish is one of the few dishes that I can say (and her admit) that I have improved from the original.
Chicken Divan. Not sure if that is how it’s spelled or if this is actually a classified as a Chicken Divan but there is our version and it will easily convert you to our side. I love making this dish in the winter and fall, there is just something about casserole comfort foods during chilly weather nights that makes it better.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of chicken breast cubed
- 1 – 3 tbsp dried tarragon
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 large head of broccoli cut into bite site florets
- 1.5 cup of rice (uncooked)
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of broccoli soup
- ½ cup sherry
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ – 1 cup pepperidge farms seasoned breadcrumbs (in a blue label)
- 1 package of shredded sharp cheddar (2 cups)
Recipe
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and warming some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat then add in the chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, tarragon, and red pepper. Toss some salt and pepper in as well.
- Saute until the chicken is just cooked
- Deglaze with the sherry wine and cook for 2 – 3 minutes
- Add in the chicken stock along with the cream of mushroom and cream of broccoli soups. Mix it all well until combined then add in the rice.
- Lower heat to medium low, cover, and simmer stirring occasionally until the rice is cooked. Depending on what the consistency is, you may have to add more rice or broth throughout as it cooks. You want a somewhat tight mixture with a little juice coming through
- Once you hit that sweet spot, add in the cooked broccoli and about 1 cup of sharp shredded cheddar – remove from heat. Don’t forget to taste and adjust your seasonings
- Grease a deep pyrex casserole dish with olive oil and pour mixture into bowl
- Melt 2 – 3 tbsp of butter in a bowl and add in the breadcrumbs. Mix to coast the crumbs.
- Spread the remainder of the cheese over the top of the casserole and then pour the crumbs over the top.
- Pop this puppy in the oven for about 45 minutes uncovered – keep an eye on it. Once it is a nice toasty golden brown on top, remove and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- DIG IN!!!