my chicken divan

Last night we had my chicken divan. It’s ~~one of the few~~ the only dish with curry that my hubby requests for dinner. I have to admit, I get happy when I smell curry. Because it means I can bring out all my exotic chutneys and relishes to go on my rice. Mmmm. Then, I smell like a convenience store the next day. I apologize to my moms’ group today.

They’re pungent… but oh so tasty.

Mmmm.

Now: for my chicken divan:

The first time I ever had chicken divan was about 6 years ago. It was a recipe made with canned (eww) soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder.

I started to make it with my own sauce, and curry.

Sins the canned (eww) soup, and mayo.

I start with fresh chicken breast, I dice it into 1″ cubes and cook it up in this:

This is Ghee, also known as clarified butter. It’s butter in which the liquid has been removed, think of it as butter concentrate. It can withstand higher heat than butter, and retains that buttery nutty flavor through the dish.

You can find it in health food stores for a lot of money- or you can go to the Middle Eastern markets like I do. Because it’s cheaper and then I can get some more chutneys and relishes.

I should host an exotic market field trip. I have a lot of them where I live. They’re fun.

No, I don’t need to adjust the white balance on my camera…. my sauce is really yellow.

Did I mention I love curry?

I will admit, I used frozen broccoli. It’s from Costco- you get 5 lbs of organic broccoli for under 6 bucks.

That’s a deal.

Bargains are tasty.

my chicken divan

Author: michelle @ The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into 1″ pieces
1 lb frozen broccoli, cooked according to package directions
2 c chicken broth
3 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1-3 tsp curry powder, depending on taste
1 c milk
cheddar cheese and bread crumbs for topping
4 tbs butter or ghee, divided.

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt 2 tbs of butter or ghee over med-high heat, add the chicken and cook through.
Remove from pan and place in a casserole dish with the broccoli.
Scrape pan to remove any bits of chicken left.
Melt another 2 tbs butter and add the flour to make a roux. (paste)
Add the chicken broth and seasonings and cook until it begins to thicken, add the milk and continue to cook until thick and smooth. Season to taste.
Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli, and top with shredded cheese and Panko bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.