Chicken Divan

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Oven

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh broccoli
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth (for homemade broth, see page 528 )
• 1 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (4 oz)
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine or chicken broth
• 6 large slices cooked chicken or turkey breast, ¼ inch thick ( ¾ lb)

Instructions

1. 1Cut the fresh broccoli into half-inch florets and boil in a saucepan with an inch of water for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. 2In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and nutmeg, cooking constantly until smooth and bubbly. Cooking the raw flour taste out here ensures a better sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chicken broth.
3. 3Return the saucepan to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Let it boil for 1 minute to thicken, then remove from the heat. Stir in half a cup of the Parmesan cheese, the whipping cream, and the white wine.
4. 4Preheat your broiler. Arrange the warm broccoli in an ungreased 11x7-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Layer the cooked chicken breast slices over the broccoli, then pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.
5. 5Sprinkle the remaining half cup of Parmesan cheese over the dish. Place under the broiler, about 3 to 5 inches from the heat source, for roughly 3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Let the casserole cool slightly before serving.

Recipe Details