Chicken Divan and a New Linky Party

This dish is one of our most beloved dinners. Chicken and broccoli covered with a creamy sauce, and then topped off with gooey melted cheese and buttery breadcrumbs. It is a delight and it's even got all your four food groups covered.

Granted, it is a bit time consuming since the chicken needs to be boiled, the broccoli needs to be cooked, cheese grated, etc. When we make it, it practically takes half a day and it's all hands on deck with each person being given a task to do to lessen the work.

If you're in more of a rush, I have learned some shortcuts that take a lot of the effort out of this dish. My tips to you would be to buy a roasted chicken (so all you have to do is debone it), use frozen broccoli (which requires less time to boil), and buy your cheese already grated. It'll go a lot quicker this way, believe me.

But, whether you make it completely from scratch or cheat a little, the divan will come out divine every time. My family absolutely loves it and I know yours will too.

New Linky Party!!!

I am pleased to announce that I will be starting a new linky party this week called, "Sweets for a Saturday." Why this theme, you ask? Well, see, Saturday is usually when we would invite my grandparents over for dinner. Naturally, dessert is always served and I want to have a collection of desserts at my fingertips for just such an occasion. Besides that, it's also the weekend and what better way to celebrate the end of the week than with a sweet treat. The linky will be up on my blog starting Friday night, so be sure to come by to link up all your delicious desserts and sweet treats. I can't wait!

Chicken Divan

4-5 lbs. chicken thighs, boiled and deboned
1 1/2 lbs. broccoli florets, parboiled (or more if you're broccoli lovers like we are)
2 smaller cans cream of chicken soup (low fat or lower sodium is fine)
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
grated cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
5 slices bread, broken into small pieces
1 stick butter

Boil and debone the chicken thighs. Parboil the broccoli until tender. Combine the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Melt 1 stick butter over medium-medium high heat. Remove from heat and add the pieces of bread. Stir well until all the bread pieces are coated with butter.

Form a layer of chicken in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer the broccoli over the chicken. Pour the cream of chicken sauce over the broccoli. Top with grated cheese and then sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake at 350F for 40 min. until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Note: It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.

This recipe is linked to:
Mouthwatering Monday
Hearth n' Soul Blog Hop
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays
Tuesdays at the Table
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays
3 Shades of Green Tasty Tuesdays
Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Delectable Tuesday
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Prairie Story Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday
Fun w/ Food Friday
What's Cookin' in the Kitchen
Friday Potluck