1960s Chicken Divan Food

1960'S CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• Cook fresh broccoli by steaming or boiling until fork tender. (if using frozen, cook as the package directs until fork tender and heated through) Line bottom of baking dish with the broccoli.
• To make the sauce: Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and wisk with the butter for 1 minute. Add the cream or milk slowly wisking constantly.
• Add a tablespoon of the cream sauce to the beaten egg yolks and stir. Then add the egg mixture to the sauce pan. Add lemon juice. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
• Slice the cooked chicken breasts across the grain thinly into bite sized pieces. Place the chicken evenly over the broccoli. Pour sauce over and then top with grated cheese.
• Bake for 20 minues until starting to bubble.

DIVINE CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a shallow 3-quart casserole dish. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and almost tender (you still want it to have a little bite; it will cook more in the oven). Drain; cool under cold running water and pat very dry. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sage and let sizzle a minute, then add the flour. Cook the roux (or else it will taste like raw flour), whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes, without letting it brown. Pour in the sherry (or broth) and cook to reduce it away, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in 1 cup broth, the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally to get out any lumps, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the scallions and gruyere until the cheese is melted, then remove the sauce from the heat.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sauce, broccoli, chicken and almonds until thoroughly coated. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave, then toss with the parmesan and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 35 minutes.

CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a little olive oil or cooking spray, coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish for easy release after baking.
• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (at least 12 inches in diameter, with a lid) over medium-high heat. Season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper. Once the oil shimmers, place the chicken breasts into the hot skillet all tucked in next to each other (like socks in a drawer!). Brown the first side for about 6 minutes. Flip each chicken breast to the other side for additional browning, another 6 minutes. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet, pop on the lid and turn the heat down to medium low. Leave it alone for 3 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature of each chicken breast is 165 degrees F, then remove to a plate and let them rest for a minimum of 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms, stirring continuously, until they are a light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl (at least 6 quarts in size). Add the mushrooms, broccoli, both cans of soup, mayonnaise, sherry, lemon juice and curry powder. Mix together thoroughly, then transfer to your prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the cheese on top and set aside.
• Combine the graham crackers with the parsley and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the cheese.
• Place the casserole on a sheet pan and bake in the oven until the top is browned and the casserole is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve over your favorite cooked rice.

TRADITIONAL CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Steam broccoli for 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Alternatively, place broccoli in a shallow bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2-5 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave) until crisp-tender. Drain in colander.
• In a medium frying pan, saute chicken breasts in olive oil until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and drain on paper towls.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate the taste of raw flour. Then gradually whisk in chicken broth, sherry and milk or half and half, until incorporated. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until the sauce is the consistency you desire. Add just a dash of nutmeg. Add 3/4 of the cheese blend and whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a 9x13 dish arrange chicken breasts (either whole or sliced) and broccoli. Pour sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Make several slits in the aluminum foil to allow the steam to escape.
• Note: At this point, the dish can be frozen or refrigerated.
• Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, taking off the aluminum foil for the last 10.