Chicken Divan, my favourite

Chicken Divan
Serves 6-8
This is great for dinner parties, functions or casserole dinners

1 3lb chicken, cooked, boned and cut into bite sized pieces
1 head of broccoli, broken into florets and cooked
2 cups white sauce*
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream
3 tbsp sherry
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese

Choose a shallow oven-proof dish suitable for serving from. Arrange cooked broccoli over the bottom of the dish, then scatter the cooked chicken evenly over the broccoli. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the top, covering well. Again sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. May be refrigerated at this point. Place in 400F oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling. If it has been refrigerated this will take longer. Serve immediately.

*To make white sauce, place 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan or micro-safe dish and melt on stove top or in microwave. Add 4 tbsp plain flour, mix well. Away from heat, whisk in 2 cups of milk, then return to heat and gently bring to boil. (Microwave in 3-minute bursts, whisk well between zaps.) Cook until thick. Season to taste.

I also used to make ham and broccoli crepes, with chopped ham and cooked broccoli florets in a cheesey bechamel sauce, rolled into crepes and baked in the oven with more cheese sauce over the top (or just rolled and served). Was thinking about them just the other night :-) Hint: I usually chop some onion and cook it in the butter when making bechamel for this kind of thing.

Funny you mention fritatta, because broccoli quiche is one of our very favorites. Sometimes I mix it with cauliflower and sometimes with just mushrooms. Christy's family makes something they called Italian Broccoli. Cook onions and garlic, then add broccoli and cook till it's quite soft. Smash and add parmesan. Great side dish but it can also be used on pasta by adding some of the pasta water. A broccoli pesto is nice too. Btw, when you blanch broccoli it is easy to over blanch. You could try freezing some to use in casseroles or the fritatta or quiche. I love broccoli too. Once in a while as a treat, we don't do fried food often, we fry broccoli. Steam, then coat with well seasoned flour and fry. I like to use broccoli in my veggie soup and also in my veggie chili's. That's a few of my first thoughts.

Thanks Colleen and Coconut..
Colleen one of the boys very favorite things to eat, is a Broccoli Rice Chicken Casserole...basically it's my version of Chicken Divan..but with a big ol layer of cooked rice under it and topped with cheddar cheese. THEY LOVE IT!

Fried Broccoli...wow...never would of thought about that one... That would probably go over really big! LOL

and Smashed broccoli...another one that sounds quite do-able..

this from sol who often posts here....
Broccoli Puree -- Sol
1-1/2 lbs. broccoli, cut into florets
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon cr�me fra�che or sour cream
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cook the broccoli in a covered steamer over boiling water for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
Transfer the broccoli to a food processor. Add all the remaining ingredients and puree. You might want to taste and adjust the seasonings at this point. Serve immediately.
Note: I added 2 tablespoons of cr�me fra�che. You could also substitute chile oil for the red pepper flakes. Btw, this is a recipe from the book 'Seriously Simple.' (Sol's notes.)

Sol's broccoli puree is a favourite.

Terri, you can also roast broccoli in the oven and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Ann
PS. So glad to see you posting again. I've missed you.

One of my favorite ways to cook broccoli is to cut it into bite sized flowerettes and saute it in olive oil with fresh minced garlic and a shake of hot red pepper flakes. Cook to desired doneness - can add some chicken stock to help it along but not too much that it doesn't evaporate. I like to top this with some grated parmesan cheese before serving. Sometimes I mix cauliflower and broccoli and cook them together this way. Usually I cook the vegetable kind of soft with this method.

I also like to stir-fry over high heat in some peanut oil with some thin slices of fresh ginger and a pinch of sugar. Again, add a bit of chicken broth to help it steam cook, and when evaporated drizzle some toasted sesame oil over it. Should be a bit crunchy.

I love broccoli steamed along with cauliflower and carrots - melted butter with lemon juice and plenty of chopped fresh dill.

Broccoli makes a great addition to a vegetable stir-fry with a sweet red bell pepper, summer squash, zucchini, onions, shittake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, celery - just about any mix you want. I heat peanut oil in my wok -add lots of chopped fresh garlic and chopped fresh ginger and some hot red pepper flakes and stir fry all of the veggies until just tender - again a bit of chicken stock to help them steam cook. Key is to cut everything just about the same size. Drizzle with some soy sauce at the end.

Although I usually buy it, broccoli slaw is really good. The mix I buy is predominately shredded broccoli stems with some shredded carrot and a bit of shredded red cabbage. I marinate it in a sweet/sour boiled dressing. It wouldn't be hard to shred from scratch. I've never made it with a mayo-based dressing.

seagrass

Who's got a version of that broccoli salad with the bacon and the raisins? I love That LOVE it!! I guess I need a recipe.
Also use the stems, shred in the food processor and make broccoli slaw....just like you would make cabbage slaw. Shred a few carrots with the broccoli for color...yum!

I like that broccoli salad, too, but I've never made it. We're starting to pick broccoli...may have to try it. I bet there's lots variations.

I agree about frozen broccoli, Terri, but I do blanch and freeze a few packages for soups and casseroles. Last year I rolled it in a towel and let it dry well, froze it on trays, then vacuumed it in the foodsaver. It wasn't bad.

If the kids like broccoli cheese soup and you have freezer space, it's easy to do a soup base. I simmer the broc and some onions, barely covered, in chicken broth, then blend and freeze.

I've steamed and dried it, too, even though the books say the quality isn't good. It comes back really well...we use it mostly in vegie chowders.

When I need a fast side, I'll steam it in a skillet, drain and toss some shredded cheese on top.

These are really good. From the Victory Garden Cookbook and called broccoli balls at our house. Be sure and chop the vegies really fine...the balls hold together better.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Broccoli or Cauliflower Morsels

Recipe By : Katie, from Victory Garden Cookbook
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 large eggs
2 cups blanched broccoli or cauliflower -- chopped fine
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (can use Swiss or Parmesan)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic -- minced (I use more)
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Beat eggs and combine with everything but oil. Form into 1"-1 1/2" balls. Cook in hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Good as a side dish, or make smaller for cocktail tidbits, or serve cold.

BROCCOLI GRAPE SALAD

2 lbs. broccoli, bite size pieces (blanched if you like)
2 1/2 c. seedless red grapes (or raisins or mandarin oranges)
3 tbsp. finely chopped onions
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
1/4 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and diced
Combine top 5 ingredients.

DRESSING:
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
Combine all dressing ingredients, pour over salad. Stir to coat. Chill.

LindaC, this is my version of that salad. I like to make it with half and half broccoli and cauliflower, and my girls like it best with bacon, raisins and sunflower seeds.

BROCCOLI SALAD

2 heads of broccoli
red onion
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 c. raisins
1 c. Mayonnaise
2 TBL sugar
2 TBL red wine or apple cider vinegar
optional add-ins like sunflower seeds, grated cheddar cheese, chopped ham, whatever

Wash and cut the broccoli. You want mostly the florets for this salad. Cut into bite sized pieces. Place into a seal-able bowl.

Cut the red onion into small pieces. Depending on how well you like onions, add up to 1/2 c. of red onion to the broccoli along with 1/2 c. raisins.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, sugar and vinegar. If you like a very sweet salad, add more sugar. Once whisked and combined, pour over the broccoli, onions and raisins. You can also add addtional items like nuts

Combine well, and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Cook 6-12 pieces of bacon, crispy, and cut into bite sized pieces. Do not add to the salad until ready to serve (although I do and everyone likes it fine, it's best if the bacon is crispy)

Annie

Thanks annie....that sounds like the one.

One time about 20 years ago, 4 of us were throwing a wedding reception for a friend's second wedding. One gal had the house and the drinks, I made a chicken something and a pasta something....and probably the rolls too, another made dessert and another made this broccoli salad. We then all presented a bill and split the costs. The bill for the broccoli salad was more than even the liquor....bacon is expensive as is broccoli, and we had tons and tons left over. The dummy that made it made 8 times that recipe for 60 people!!...The rec ipe said it served 8....and she never thought that there was lots of other food too.
I think the reason I don't have the recipe is I got very sick of it after trying to eat up the leftovers!!
Linda C

Linda, I love that salad too..but the men folk...nah...

Ann, as a matter of fact that's how we had it lastnight..I often do that and all of them will eat it. They'll eat most veg roasted. :)

Katie, glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks that doesn't work. ;)
And broccoli balls sound fun...fried food is popular in this house. ;)

Thanks everyone..a few new ideas. ;)

Crean of Broc soup. Freeze for later!
Pasta sauce (cook broc, onion, garlic in butter until soft, whiz in the FP and serve over hot pasta with shaved parm)
Quiche
Stir-fry
Roasted
Beef & Broccoli Wraps. Ground beef cooked/drained/seasoned, diced broccoli and cream cheese.
Mac 'n' cheese w/ broc and ham
Italian pasta salad (pasta, pepperoni, red bell pepper, red onion, broc, cauliflower, italian dressing)
Teriyaki bowls (rice, cooked chicken, steamed broc, matchstick carrots with teriyaki sauce).

Add to sweet and sour veggies/meat....eating some of that right now!

My Broc Salad is just like Annie's, except recently I've replaced the sugar with Splenda and I use fat free (gasp) Miracle Whip. You can add mushrooms, mandarin oranges, sunflower seeds, cauliflower, etc.

Add some to regular tossed green salads
Cold broccoli pizza (crescent roll dough, baked and cooled, cream cheese/mayo sauce with lots of chopped veggies pressed in).

Deanna (jealous....the slugs nearly decimated my broccoli and now I'm just getting itty, bitty head that want to flower immediately. Sigh.)

I make Broccoli Balls a lot. Mine aren't fried, but baked from frozen, so I can pull out what I need. I...uh...Renamed them, because of what they look like before I stick them in the freezer. I've never had the luxury of using garden fresh broccoli so the recipe is for using boxes of chopped broccoli.

BROCCOLI BALLS
a/k/a HAIRY BALLS

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups herb stuffing mix
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese,
freshly grated and firmly packed
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup extra grated Parmesan, for rolling balls in

Cook frozen broccoli for five minutes each; drain well.

Combine all ingredients, mixing well.

Spread mixture and level into a sheet pan; chill until firm. When the mixture has cooled, scoop into small balls. Roll the broccoli balls in Parmesan cheese. Freeze; vacuum seal.

To serve: Bake frozen broccoli balls in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Makes 72 broccoli balls.