Lemon is one of my favorite flavors to pair with chicken. This recipe also includes curry sending this to the the top of my comfort food list. This is one of the dinners that I make in a pinch. The recipe’s in my head and I know everyone will eat it, without complaint. Double bonus! It’s also easy to make in the morning or even the day before and pop in the oven for dinner, it only takes 30 minutes to bake.
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preheat oven to 375 degrees
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Blanche broccoli. Fill sauce 6quart sauce pan 1/2 way with water, salt, bring to boil, toss in broccoli heads for 2 minutes, pour out of pan into colander and rinse in cold water until no longer hot. Let broccoli drain well, you can even pat dry with paper towel. Spread broccoli in bottom of 9×13 baking dish.
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Heat olive oil on medium heat in saute pan, toss in chicken and cook until just cooked through and you can see no more pink on chicken. Layer cooked chicken cubes over broccoli in baking dish.
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Drain a can of sliced water chestnuts and layer on top of chicken(this is optional if you are opposed to water chestnuts by all means leave them out)
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After removing chicken from sauce pan, you can add the one stick of butter to that same pan, no need to wash it (unless you burnt something) melt butter, whisk in 1/3 cup flour, cook flour/butter mixture over medium heat, continue to whisk for about 1 minute.
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Gradually add milk to the flour/butter mixture, continuously whisking, after you have the milk incorporated and you have a smooth thick gravy Add the chicken broth whisking the entire time, you want your sauce to be smooth not lumpy. If sauce seems too thick add a little more broth and whisk.
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Remove from heat add season salt, mayonnaise, and lemon juice, whisk until smooth.
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Whisk in the curry powder, feel free to add more if you want. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli, sprinkle with Frenches Fried Onions.
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Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over white rice.
My family loves this, and it is one of the few things my husband will eat leftovers of.
Hope you enjoy!
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I *adore* chicken divan! But I must admit that it's my mom's recipe not an old boyfriends! :)Hilarious! I love that it's from your old boyfriends mom! This looks delish and different than what my mom makes, can't wait to try it!
I too love Chicken Divan! It's a household favorite and the receipe is my Grandmother's. I have wonderful memories of having dinner at her house eating Chicken Divan, still LOVE it to this day. I love how specifc food can hold such beautiful memories of one's childhood.
THanks for the post, it's on my menu for the week! PS, I have also used pheasant instead of chicken and it's delicious!
YAY!! So glad you posted this!! It's one of my fav's of yours and Skeeter loves it too. I tried to make the recipe that is in that old Better Homes cookbook and it just doesn't taste the same but I haven't had it in so long I couldn't recall what was different. Mmmmmm, now will try yours. Sankyuuuuu!
I received my recipe from a cute boyfriend's mom too! Now she's my mother-in-law. Don't tell her, but your recipe is way better. Hers is good, but it calls for a few soups from a can, you know the type. Can't wait to make yours for my cute boyfriend/hubby!
Oh, I have a couple that I can remember (recipes not cute boyfriends). John G's mom made homemade taco shells and then baked them in the oven with the meat in them…OH, MY…I almost married him just for those taco's. But I was not yet 16. Then Joe F's mom's homemade spagetti sauce with Italian sausage links. Another really, really good recipe.
Can't wait to try chicken divan. I am ALWAYS looking for a go to easy recipe!