September 6, 2012 - Chicken Divan

Tonight's dinner went pretty well! We had fun making it together. You have to make sure you boil the chicken before starting anything else. It tasted pretty good! I think we would make this one again! We have not been able to find the Xanthan Gum. We have heard that  I have no idea what this gum is, all I know is that it thickens stuff. Well, we can't find it anywhere so we just through in a small amount of flour to help thicken the sauce.  It will add a few more carbs but nothing big enough to worry about. Cornstarch is a good substitute but we didn't have any.

CHICKEN DIVAN - REVISED 
4 cups diced cooked chicken 
14-16 ounces frozen broccoli florets 
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 stalk celery, diced 
1 small onion, diced 
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced 
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 
1 cup chicken broth 
1 cup heavy cream 
1/8 teaspoon curry powder 
Salt and pepper, to taste 
1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Cook the broccoli according to package directions for 5 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, sauté the celery, onion and mushrooms in the butter until tender. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface and quickly stir in. Add the broth and cream; bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer until the sauce has thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in the mayonnaise until well blended. Stir in the curry powder and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a greased 9x13" glass baking dish, mix the chicken, broccoli and cheese. Pour in the mushroom sauce and mix well. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top, if using. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and a little browned on top.

Makes 8 servings 
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 478 Calories; 36g Fat; 33g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 

HAPPY EATING!!!

Ps. So, for desert, I made Spencer Cupcakes with the inspiration ( from pinterest) to make them into Despicable Me cupcakes. This first one doesn't look to bad. 

This one, I think, had a fight with his make-up artist because he seems to be having some issues with running black down his face..... not sure what happened there. Maybe he's crying because he was made second... who knows...