Chicken Divan

I made this recipe for dinner the other night. David loved it a LOT. I have to share it, of course!



Chicken Divan

1 large head of broccoli- tips cut off and large stems discarded
3-4 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
dash paprika

Cook broccoli (either steamed or boiled) until just tender. About 5 minutes. Be careful not to over cook, or broccoli will become mushy. Drain and place in the bottom of a 12"x8" baking dish.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder over chicken breasts. Fry in a large pan over high heat to sear breasts and lock in moisture. About 3 minutes each side. Place breasts in baking dish on top of broccoli.

To make sauce:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and nutmeg. Whisk into butter, forming a paste-like consistency. Add milk and chicken broth all at once. Whisk until smooth and no lumps are visible. Increase temperature to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1-2 minutes, take off heat and stir in Swiss cheese.

Pour cheese sauce over the chicken breasts and broccoli. Sprinkle the Parmesan and paprika on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Swiss Sandwich Pockets

This is a recipe I accidentally stumbled upon. The taste of this sandwich pocket is UNBELIEVABLE! They pair perfectly with a bowl of warm soup (I prefer tomato) and they freeze great too. It's a very easy recipe and you make 6 sandwiches... but, you might want to consider doubling it. They go down so easily!




Chicken and Swiss Sandwich Pockets
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
1 small (around 1/2 cup) red bell pepper- roasted, peeled, and chopped (how-to below)
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning
6 slices of deli swiss cheese, each slice cut into 4 squares
12 frozen dinner rolls, thawed
2 tablespoons of butter, melted.

Turn on oven broiler. Wash red pepper. Coat in vegetable oil (don't use olive oil- it "smokes" when heated). Place in metal or foil baking dish. I used an old foil pie plate. Put pepper on the top rack, closest to the heat. Turn pepper every 5-10 minutes or until each side is black/charred. The pepper will be very soft when you try to turn it. Once pepper is completely darkened (this takes about a half hour), remove from oven and let cool. After cooled, peel of skin using your fingers and a knife. If the pepper has been properly roasted, you won't need to use a knife. The skin should come off easily and in large pieces. Dice up red pepper flesh, discard pepper skin.

In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter. Saute chicken and onions until chicken is cooked and onions are soft. Add minced garlic and saute another few minutes. Add roasted pepper, mustard, and all seasonings. Cook until heated through.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. With your fingers, stretch out dough rolls until they form a 5 inch round. Place flattened and stretched roll on greased sheet. Put 2 squares of cheese in the center of the dough. Top with 1/4 cup of chicken mixture and the remaining 2 squares of cheese. Stretch another dough roll and put on top, forming the pocket. Use a fork to seal the 2 rolls together. Repeat until you have 6 pockets formed. Brush tops with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

ENJOY!