Chicken Divan

I’m keeping this short and sweet, because that’s all I can really muster this morning. I woke up last Friday with a wicked head cold, and five days later I’m barely functioning. I have holiday gifts to wrap, a bit of food shopping to do, school parties to make treats for, a party to host on Saturday afternoon, followed by one to go to later that evening, and Christmas and Boxing Day dinners to cook for and coordinate. To say I’m a little behind the eight ball right now would definitely be putting it mildly.

I’m convinced that tackling everything on my to-do list with only prolong the pain in my head, so I’m doing what I can when I have the energy. As I type this I’m sitting on the sofa bundled with a blanket, so I think it’s safe to say I’m not going to get much done this morning. But! Two nights ago I did manage to make a decent dinner with some leftovers hanging out in the fridge, and I’m thinking this just might be the perfect dish to cook next week when your family is looking for food and you’re facing a fridge full of Christmas dinner remnants. 

Chicken Divan

Adapted from Life Made Delicious

Feel free to change up the cheese and nuts suggested below, and use any combination of flavours that your family enjoys.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 3-4 cups chopped broccoli
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
• ¾ cups grated cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, cooking for a minute or so to create a thick paste. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside. 

Place the broccoli on the bottom of an ungreased baking dish; top with the cubed chicken. Spoon the sauce over the top of the meat and cover with the grated cheese. Top with sliced almonds and bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is golden brown.  

Comments

[Julie]

This looks a lot like the classy chicken I grew up on! Hope you're feeling better - and Merry Christmas!

[Meaghan]

Hi there! I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for all of the hard work you put into your blog each week. I really look forward to your posts and read them as often as possible!

[Jan Scott]

Thank you, Meaghan! That means so much to me. Have a wonderful, happy holiday...all the best for 2014! xo