Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan=DIVINE! Alright, the name alone is fabulous, so I feel like this is going to be a fantastic entry. As promised, my New Year's Resolution is to blog 3 new recipes per week. This is the kickoff of that resolution and hopefully the inspiration to keep on blogging about it.

I found this recipe in my Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook - and for anyone that is a fan of home-cooked deliciousness - BUY IT! It's fantastic, full of savory and scrumptious recipes ranging from breakfast, appetizers, dinners, and desserts! Ok back to the recipe at hand...

So this dish is a casserole technically, full of yummy flavors. It kind of reminds me of a quiche in texture or a souffle but you be the judge! It only takes about a half hour to prepare so obviously it's a winner from the get go...so let's get to cooking...

**Note: There are a few things that I changed from the Southern Living Cookbook but I will let you know in the recipe what I have omitted or substituted.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk - any kind is fine, I used lowfat
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tbsp dry sherry (I omitted this)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this)
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 1/2 stalks of broccoli, steamed
2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used turkey because my grocery store was out of chicken, for real!)
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping - optional but of course I used it

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 F (225 C) and lightly grease an 11x7 inch baking dish.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat and whisk in the flour (making a golden delicious rue). Gradually add in the milk and cook, whisking constantly. (If you're using the sherry, add it here as well as the Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp grated Parmesan). Once the mixture is thickened remove it from the heat.
In a small bowl combine the egg yolks with about 1/4 of the mixture and whisk to combine. Once it's combined add the mixture back to the pan (with the rest of the mixture) and fold in the whipped cream. You're ready to assemble this bad boy!
So take your greased baking dish and line the bottom with the steamed broccoli and chopped cooked chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with additional cheese!
Pop it in the oven at 450 F for 10-12 minutes, or until it's bubbly. Then flip your broiler on for a minute or two to brown it (if it hasn't browned on it's own). It should make about 6 servings if you're serving it as a side dish or about 4 servings if it's the main dish.

Pictures: