Microwave Chicken Divan Food

CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 °F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
• Steam the broccoli in the microwave for 4 minutes, until tender crisp. Remove and drain well.
• Place the broccoli and chicken into a large bowl.
• Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic, sauté until fragrant, around 2 minutes.
• Stir in the soups, the milk, the sour cream and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli and mix well.
• Spoon out the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Top with the remaining cheese.
• Combine the ingredients of the panko topping together completely.
• Sprinkle over the top of the casserole in an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes OR until the mixture is heated and bubbling through. The topping should be brown and crispy.
• Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve over rice or pasta.

EASY CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place broccoli in a large pot boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes or just until tender crisp. Drain well.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup cheddar cheese, milk, condensed soup, sour cream and seasonings.
• Stir in broccoli and chicken and spread into a 3qt casserole dish (or a 9x13 pan). Top with remaining cheese.
• In a small bowl, mix the butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the chicken mixture.
• Bake 18-20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned and the mixture is bubbly and hot.
• Serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, as desired.

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.

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.

HOW TO MICROWAVE A WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, remove most of the skin from the chicken. This is easier than it sounds, especially with scissors.
• Place chicken breast side up in a microwavable pan (Pyrex is great).
• Mix salt and spices and rub all over the outer surfaces of the chicken.
• Place onion inside cavity (be sure to remove the gizzard bag first!).
• Set microwave power on 70% (or medium high).
• Microwave for about 10 minutes per pound, so 35 minutes for a 3.5 lb bird, 50 minutes for a 5 lb-er, etc.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting, then enjoy! Do make sure the breast meat closest to the bone is cooked; the legs will be done before the center.

CHICKEN DIVAN (OR TURKEY DIVAN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook broccoli until tender in the microwave.
• Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9 x 11 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Spread chicken over broccoli.
• Combine mayonnaise, soup, lemon juice and curry powder. Spoon over chicken.
• Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

BROCCOLI CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
• Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

MICROWAVE CHICKEN DIVAN

Steps:

• Place the broccoli in a colander and run under cold water to thaw if needed.
• Fill the bottom of a 2 quart glass casserole with the broccoli. Cover this layer with the chicken. (I use leftover chicken or turkey, or canned chicken, or even lunch meat.) Finally, cover the chicken with thinly sliced or grated cheese. (1 cup = about 8 slices of cheese.).
• In a bowl, mix milk, soup, lemon juice, and curry powder with a whisk. Pour this over the cheese.
• Microwave on High for about 8 minutes, turning the dish halfway through cooking time.
• Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the paprika. Microwave on High for another minute or two if desired.
• Note-You can also bake this at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, add the toppings, and bake 5 more minutes.