Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 2 10 oz Broccoli
- 2 Cups Sliced, cooked chicken (2 breasts)
- 2 Cans Cream of chicken soup (Or white sauce)
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 T Lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Curry powder (Or less)
- 1/2 Cup Cheddar cheese (Shredded)
Topping
- 1 T Melted butter
- 1/2 Cup Bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook broccoli in salted water until tender. Drain. Arrange in greased 11 x 7″ baking dish.
- Place chicken on top.
- Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Combine butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over all.
- Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
Simple Chicken Salad with Almonds
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken meat
- 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1 stalk celery chopped
Instructions
- Place almonds in a frying pan. Toast over medium-high heat, shaking frequently. Watch carefully, as they burn easily.
- In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pepper. Toss with chicken, almonds, and celery.
Notes
June 2010
Slow-Cooked Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4 pounds
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 whole carrots optional, peeled and roughly chopped
Slow Cooker Chicken Stock
- Bones from 1 whole chicken see above
- Chicken neck optional
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon black peppercorns
- Any available celery trimmings or leaves
- Water to cover
Instructions
- The night before cooking, remove the innards (I save the neck for my stock, and while I’m sure there are great things you can do with all of the goodies in that little bag, I’m not that adventurous – yet.) Mix the salt and pepper together and rub all over the outside of the chicken and in the cavity.
- If using carrots, lay them in one layer on the bottom of the cooker. (Make sure you don’t use so many that your chicken won’t fit.) Place the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker bowl, breast side up. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, cook your chicken on low for 4 to 6 hours, until a thermometer placed low and at the front of the breast registers 160 degrees and the thigh registers 175 degrees. If you want to crisp the skin a bit and make your chicken a little more presentable, remove the lid and the bowl with the chicken and place under your oven broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until the skin on top is golden brown.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minute before carving. Save the accumulated juices in the slow cooker bowl for making stock.
Stock:
- Leave all juices that have accumulated in the slow cooker. After enjoying dinner and removing all available meat from the chicken frame, add the bones back into the slow cooker, along with reserved neck, the bay leaves, onion, peppercorns and celery. Add water to an inch from the top, cover and cook on low 18 to 24 hours.
- Strain liquid through a coffee filter or fine-mesh sieve into a large container. Refrigerate overnight, then skim off most (but not alof the fat (I save this to make matzo balls or roasted potatoes). Use stock over the next 3 to 4 days or freeze.
- You can put the bones back into the slow cooker, add water and make another batch. The bones continue to release valuable minerals and nutrients for days of cooking.
Notes
Make-ahead: Seasoning the bird and cutting vegetables can (and should) be done the night before you plan to cook it.
Variations: You can get as fancy as you want with seasoning, provided you have the time. Just keep in mind that this will also influence the taste of any stock you make. Try lemon juice/zest, minced garlic, smoked paprika or thyme in addition to salt and pepper. You could also use celery and potatoes in addition to carrots.
Freeze what you don’t use in two to three days, and I’ll say it one more time: Don’t throw away those bones! Chicken stock is liquid gold. It’s filled with calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals.