Scrumptious Chicken Broccoli Divan with Bacon

A couple of nights ago, I was clueless about what to make for dinner.  I had 2 thawed skinless boneless chicken breasts, but no plan!  I could not think of anything so I started going through some old recipes I used to use and found this "oldie but goodie".  Fortunately, I had all of the ingredients on hand (hardly ever happens!).  Finally, a plan for dinner ~ YAY!


The original recipe from Campbell's Kitchen does not include bacon or the seasonings I used for the chicken, but one of my sons requested bacon to be added so I did.  The bacon and seasonings added some really great flavor to the casserole!


The recipe is below.  I hope you and yours enjoy it!

Scrumptious Chicken Broccoli Divan with Bacon


*** I seasoned the chicken breasts with coarsely-ground garlic powder, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, black pepper, and a little Himalayan pink salt (any kid of salt is fine) before sauteing them in olive oil.  The casserole was served with steamed brown rice (simmered in chicken broth for more flavor) and steamed butternut squash . . . it was a very yummy dinner which my kids really liked! ***


Serves:  4 to 6


4 cups cooked broccoli florets (cook/steam until tender, yet firm)
11/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (can also use rotisserie chicken)
1 can (103/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup (reduced sodium or fat free soup will work fine in this recipe)
1/3 cup milk
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs (I used French's fried onion rings instead!)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted (omit if using French's friend onion rings)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


Spray 2-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.  Place cooked broccoli and chicken in baking dish.


In a small bowl, mix soup and milk; pour over the broccoli and chicken.  If adding bacon to the casserole, sprinkle the bacon crumbles on top of the soup mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top.  (If using French's fried onion rings instead of bread crumbs, omit the butter and sprinkle the onion rings on top of the bacon and cheese.)

Tasty Restaurant Style Salsa

Since I have obviously been in a Tex-Mex frame of mind lately, I am going to post a great recipe I made recently for salsa!  It was really easy and yummy!  I only made half a batch of the salsa, but am posting the full recipe below.


I found the recipe on Pinterest (my new favorite obsession!).  I believe the original is from www.browneyedbaker.com and was adapted from a recipe by The Pioneer Woman.


The next time I make it, I plan to use fresh tomatoes (instead of canned) to see if it tastes even tastier!


The recipe is below, with my changes notated in parentheses.  Grab a bag of tortilla chips and enjoy!

Restaurant Style Salsa


***This makes a large quantity so use an 11-cup food processor or larger.  You can also work in batches OR half the recipe if you have a smaller food processor.***


Yield:  About 6 cups


Prep Time:  15 minutes


1  28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2  10-oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles (I used Rotel Mexican Lime & Cilantro)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno for a milder salsa)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cumin


Add all ingredients to a food processor.  Pulse until you get the desired consistency, about 10 pulses.  Refrigerate for at least one hour and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Can't Get Enough Guacamole!

I absolutely LOVE Tex-Mex (a.k.a. Mexican food) and have been eating it since I was a toddler, from what my mother has told me.  In the 70's and 80's, we used to eat at the El Fenix Restaurant (a Dallas institution since 1918; http://elfenix.com/ ) on Northwest Highway, near NorthPark Center, in Dallas several times a month.  My mother would always offer me the guacamole-donned tostada that came with her meal, as one did not come with the children's meal.  Of course, I always gladly accepted her tostada and devoured it and the creamy guacamole in short time!  :-)

Below is a terrific guacamole recipe I have been using for awhile.  I am not sure where the recipe originated from, but it's really fresh, easy, and yummy!  Each time I make this for a gathering, it's one of the first things to get eaten up!  (Will post a pic the next time I make it!)

The recipe follows!

Can't Get Enough Guacamole

5-6 large ripe avocados

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped

1/2 medium sized red onion, finely chopped

3-4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mash together until smooth.  Add additional lime juice or salt to taste.

Serve with tortilla or corn chips!

Frito Salad

Here is another family favorite!  I usually serve this salad with my enchilada casserole and some jalapeno cornbread . . . it's sooooo good!  (Please refer to my blog entry dated 1/22/12 for the enchilada casserole recipe!)   


I apologize for not having a photo to post with this recipe (will post a pic the next time I make it), but trust me this is a really yummy salad!  You and yours will love it!


The recipe is below ~ dig in and enjoy!

Frito Salad

Salad Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce (I use Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce.)
1 can chili beans, rinsed and drained
chopped green onion
tomatoes, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups Original Fritos corn chips (the small ones)
Catalina salad dressing, chilled


Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and serve!

Healthy & Refreshing Salad

I made this wonderful salad recently and wanted to share the recipe with you!  This is a recipe I found on Pinterest and it's really quite good.  (I believe the original recipe can be found here:  http://www.jehancancook.com/?p=439 .)

This salad would be absolutely perfect to serve alongside beef brisket or any other type of grilled or smoked meat on Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day!  It would also go well with burgers!  I served it with my Enchilada Casserole a couple of days ago and it was a great accompaniment!  (You can find my Enchilada Casserole recipe in an earlier post on my blog.)

The recipe for this refreshing salad is below ~ enjoy!!!

Grilled Corn, Avocado, & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Original Recipe:  http://www.jehancancook.com/?p=439

Salad Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Honey Lime Dressing Ingredients:

Juice of 1 fresh lime

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 Tbsp. honey

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of cayenne pepper

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy.  Cut the corn off the cob and then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool.  

(Note from Penny: I did not have time to grill the corn, so I sauteed about 2 cups of frozen sweet yellow corn in a little olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and granulated garlic until it was tender but firm.  It tasted really good.  Grilled corn would obviously be fresher, but the frozen corn also worked well.)

Slice the tomatoes in half.  

Dice the avocado.  

Chop the cilantro.

Add all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and grilled corn in a large bowl.  Add the honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated.  Be careful not to mash the avocados.  Let the salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle.  

(Note from Penny:  I refrigerated the salad for several hours and it was terrific!)

Not My Mama's Enchilada Casserole

Sorry, not the best photo!  But rest assured, this is quite yummy!

As long as I can remember, my family has been making Enchilada Casserole.  We eat a lot of Mexican food here in Texas (a.k.a. "Tex-Mex") and this casserole is great when you feel like eating Tex-Mex at home instead of visiting your local cantina!  It's also a great dish to take to a church potluck or any type of social gathering.  I have made it for many friends and it is always well liked by everyone!

The recipe my mother has always used is a bit different from the one I now make for my own family.  For instance, my mother's recipe uses ground beef and mine uses lean ground turkey.  I also add cilantro to my recipe, which her recipe does not include.  No worries ~ whether you make it with beef, turkey, or even ground chicken it will taste GREAT!  Just remember to add a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan when you use turkey or chicken, as they are quite a bit leaner than ground beef.

My version of the recipe is below ~ enjoy!!!

PENNY'S ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

1 lb. ground turkey

1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the fat-free kind)

1 can mild enchilada sauce (the red kind, not the green stuff)
1 can chopped green chiles (do not drain)

1 pkg. corn tortillas, quartered

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese or cheddar cheese

11/2  Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray (will make clean-up much easier!).

Take a large stack of corn tortillas and slice in half.  Take those halves and slice in two.  After slicing, you should have a bunch of little tortilla triangles.

In a large skillet, sautee the chopped onion in oil for several minutes.  Add ground turkey and season it with the garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.  Cook the turkey until no longer pink.

While the turkey is cooking, place a single layer of the tortilla triangles on the bottom of the casserole dish.  (It's okay if they overlap some!)


When the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped green chiles and the chopped fresh cilantro to the skillet and cook for a couple of more minutes.  Then stir in the cream of chicken soup and enchilada sauce.  Continue to cook the mixture for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld.  Turn off the heat.


As is you were making lasagna, you will layer the enchilada casserole in the following manner . . . layer of tortillas on bottom, place 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of turkey/soup mixture over the tortillas, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top on the turkey/soup mixture. Repeat layers.  The top of the casserole should be topped with any remaining cheese.


Bake the casserole uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

My Foodie Friend!

My friend, Lauren, has a great food blog called "From Everyday to Gourmet" and you need to check it out . . . http://fromeverydaytogourmet.blogspot.com/!  



Lauren and I went to middle school and high school together and she is a fellow food lover and blogger "with southern charm and a Texas drawl".  She likes to "turn everyday ingredients into tasty and easy recipes with a gourmet touch".



Her latest recipe is "BST - Bacon, Spinach, & Tomato - Baked Breakfast Sub" and I absolutely cannot wait to make (and eat) it!!!