Divine Chicken Divan

This tasty chicken dish is rich, creamy, and cheesy; it's perfect for a cold winter day when you want some comfort food. I served this dish alongside our Orzo Risotto which was a delicious combination, although a very cheesy combination. So in the future I will lessen the amount of cheese in my Orzo Risotto and serve with a green salad as well.

A few notes: The recipe calls for shallots, which I used, but you could substitute onions. The recipe also calls for Gruyere cheese, which is delicious, but also very pricey, so I substituted some shaved Parmesan cheese instead, and it turned out very well.


Divine Chicken Divan
Recipe (slightly adapted) from Rachel Ray
Pictures by Caroline
Serves 2

2 cups chicken broth
1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium shallot, chopped
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound broccoli spears
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (I substituted Parmesan), shredded

Directions
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a wide, deep skillet with lid. Add chicken breasts and return to boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and poach until almost cooked through. Remove from heat (keeping juices) and slice chicken into 1/2 inch strips.
2. In another medium skillet, saute shallots in oil and butter for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in white wine and reduce by half, about a minute. Ladle in some of the chicken broth, whisking sauce as you do. Stir in cream and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add chicken strips, coating them in the sauce.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli for about 5-6 minutes; just until they are tender.
4. Transfer broccoli to a shallow baking dish. Layer chicken on top of the broccoli and top with the cheese. Put dish in a preheated broiler until cheese is brown, golden, and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.