Crock Pot Chicken Divan

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
1 lb frozen broccoli floretts
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c light sour cream
1/2 c light mayonnaise
2 t fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 t curry powder
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3 c egg noodles, prepared
1/2 c crushed butter crackers, recommended: Ritz (approximately 8 crackers)

Place frozen chicken breasts in single layer on bottom of crock pot and add frozen broccoli.

In small bowl mix together soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cheddar cheese, curry powder and pepper. Pour over chicken and broccoli in crock pot and spread to edge. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over egg noodles topped with crushed crackers, serves 6.

Easy Chicken Alfredo

Yes, I'm doing things the easy way this month. Of course, it is the dog-days of summer here in Phoenix so turning on my oven to roast a chicken is out of the questions. Fortunately, Costco was happy to roast if for me! In case I haven't said it before, sometimes I'm all about cutting corners. However, I only justify the purchase of precooked food if the price is reasonable. I would never spend double the price just for the sake of convenience. That would be irresponsible for me to spend my husband's hard earned salary that way.

So about the Costco roast chicken, I was able to get three complete meals out of one pre roasted chicken and I think that is a value for the money.




Easy Chicken Alfredo
8 oz spaghetti or linguini, prepared al dente
8 oz roasted red pepper Alfredo sauce (recommended: Classico)
1 c cooked broccoli flowrettes
4 oz roast chicken breast, chopped
1/4 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

In large skillet over medium-high heat, place alfredo sauce and heat until thickend and bubbly. Add broccoli and chicken, stir to coat. Add pasta and toss until well blended. Ladle in up to 1/4 c pasta water and thin sauce to desired consistency, if needed. Divide pasta and sauce equally between two bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

1 (14 oz) can cream of broccoli soup
1 c water
3/4 c uncooked white rice
1 head fresh broccoli, chopped (approximately 2 cups)
2 lemons
8 turns fresh ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter 3 quart covered casserole dish and set aside. Slice one lemon into rings and set aside.

In medium bowl, combine soup, water, rice, and 2 T lemon juice. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Place chicken on top of mixture and top with lemon rings. Cover dish and bake in center of oven 45-55 minutes or until rice is done and chicken is cooked through. Serves 6-8.

Chef's Note: To make ahead, prepare as above but place in refrigerator until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 350° and bake 1 &1/2 to 2 hours or until chicken is cooked through and rice is done.

Broccoli & Ham One-Pot Meal

2 boxes macaroni & cheese, recommended: Kraft Three Cheese Mini-Shells & Cheese
1/2 c half & half
1 stick butter
2 cups frozen broccoli flowrettes, prepared
1 cup diced ham
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Boil macaroni to package instructions. Drain well and return to low heat. Add half & half, butter and cheese packets. Stir until well combined and butter is melted. Add broccoli and ham, mix well. Divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serves 4.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Just so you know, I don't always make meals from scratch. I realize this may forever change your perception of my culinary skills, but there are products that are mass produced that are just as good, if not better, than I can make them. For example, I'm not ready to try making my own sweet & sour sauce so I'm going to buy one at the market that's tasty and my family will like.

And don't feel bad for buying frozen meatballs, they're cheaper than buying the ingredients and making them yourself. Plus they cook in 5 minutes, so lunch is ready in record time. And mommy's happy when everyone's tummy is full.

20-30 frozen meatballs
1 jar sweet & sour sauce, recommended: La Choy
4 c white rice, prepared
2 c frozen broccoli flowrettes, prepared
red pepper flakes, optional

Place frozen meatballs in microwave safe dish with lid. Pour jar of sweet & sour sauce over meatballs. Cover dish with lid and microwave on high 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

While meatballs are cooking, place frozen broccoli in steamer basket and cook over boiling water until bright green, approximately 4 minutes.

In shallow bowl, dish rice and cover with meatballs and top with broccoli. Drizzle with sauce and red pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Best Ever Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 head fresh broccoli
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
3 c milk
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 T flour
1 c half and half
1/2 c pecorino romano cheese, finely grated
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Remove broccoli from hard stem and discard. Cut into florets and steam cut broccoli (including tender stems and leaves) 8 minutes until bright green in color.

In large nonstick skillet, melt half one stick of butter (1/4 c) over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until butter just begins to brown. Add steamed broccoli, cover and cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally 5 minutes or until broccoli is soft. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash broccoli into large bite sized pieces.

While broccoli and garlic are cooking, add beaten egg yolk to 1 c of milk. Melt remaining 1/4 c butter in a 2-3 quart saucepan, add flour and stir constantly. When flour just bubbles, add yolk/milk mixture to saucepan. Lower heat to medium and stir until thick.

Add mashed broccoli with garlic to saucepan stirring until well combined. Slowly add remaining milk, salt and half and half. Raise temperature to medium high and bring just to a boil. Add grated cheese and mix well. Turn heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with fresh ground black pepper and additional romano cheese, if desired. Serves 4.

Chicken Lo Mein

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast strips
1 package frozen vegetable Stir-Fry Lo Mein
1 c frozen broccoli flourettes
1/4 c water
1 T vegetable oil
1 t sesame oil
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground ginger
2 T soy sauce
1/2 c unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Stir in lo mein mix, broccoli and water. Reduce heat to medium high, cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and add sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Stir, recover and cook an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Transfer to serving bowl, toss in soy sauce and top with peanuts and pepper flakes. Serves 2.

Easy Chicken Teriyaki

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 c sweet and sour sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 t honey
1 t rice vinegar
1/2 t sesame oil
1 c frozen broccoli florets
2 c steamed rice, prepared

In bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, vinegar and oil. Place sliced chicken and broccoli in medium skillet, pour in sauce mixture. Saute over medium heat 5 minutes until reduced by a third. Serve over steamed white or brown rice. Serves 4.

Mashed Broccoli Baked Potato

~3 pounds red potatoes, cubed
~4 cups broccoli florets
2/3 cup warm milk
1 c shredded jack cheese
1/2 t salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam for 15 minutes. Place broccoli on top, cover and steam until the potatoes and broccoli are tender, 8 minutes more. Transfer broccoli and potato to a large bowl and coarsely mash. Add cheese, milk and salt and continue mashing to desired consistency; add pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Chef's Note: Never use a mixer to mash potatoes unless making a souffle.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2 T butter
1/2 white onion ~ diced
2 stalks celery ~ chopped
3 c chicken broth
8 c broccoli florets
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 c milk
ground black pepper to taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat.

In small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-heat, stir in flour until smooth and whisk in milk. Whisk continually until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes), add to soup. Return soup to boil for 5 minutes more. Season with pepper and serve.

*Chef's Note~ Garnish with cheddar cheese for the flavor of Broccoli Cheese Soup without adding major calories.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Florets from 2 heads broccoli ~ chopped and rinsed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs ~ beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
12 Ritz crackers ~ crushed

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (except Ritz crackers) and place in 8 x 8 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and top with crackers. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes or until crackers are golden. Let set 10 minutes before serving.