It’s a luxury dish that can actually help you shed a few pounds! Fancy that! Skinnier Chicken Divan Casserole makes a few simple substitutions, like low-fat cheese and fat-free milk so you can still get that crunchy, cheesy, savory chicken and broccoli experience, but without the guilt! Don’t let your diet’s plans stand in the way of what your taste buds want with Skinnier Chicken Divan Casserole!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 (8-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup shallot or onion, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 2 ounces dry sherry or white wine
- 6 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, shredded or finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup seasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 -In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.
Step 4 -Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 5 -Add the broccoli, the kosher salt, and the water and cover the skillet.
Step 6 -Let the broccoli cook until the florets are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
Step 7 -Transfer the broccoli to the baking dish.
Step 8 -Pound the thicker end of the chicken breasts until they are even throughout.
Step 9 -Brush the mayonnaise evenly on the chicken breasts.
Step 10 -Season the chicken breasts evenly with the salt and the black pepper.
Step 11 -Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Step 12 -When the skillet is hot, lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 13 -Add the chicken breasts and cook until they are just cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes per side.
Step 14 -Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board to cool.
Step 15 -Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step 16 -Place the skillet over medium heat.
Step 17 -Add the butter and the remaining oil and heat until the butter is melted.
Step 18 -Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 19 -Sprinkle the shallots with the flour and cook, while stirring, until a golden paste forms and the raw flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.
Step 20 -Add the broth, the milk, the salt, and the sherry to the shallot mixture and whisk to combine.
Step 21 -Reduce the heat to low and bring the sauce mixture to a simmer.
Step 22 -Simmer the sauce mixture for 1 minute 30 seconds.
Step 23 -Transfer the skillet from the heat.
Step 24 -Add 1/2 of the Swiss cheese and stir to combine.
Step 25 -Pour 1/2 of the sauce mixture over the broccoli and mix to coat.
Step 26 -Arrange the chicken on top of the broccoli-sauce layer in the baking dish.
Step 27 -Cover the chicken with the remaining sauce.
Step 28 -Sprinkle the remaining Swiss cheese, the parmesan, and the breadcrumbs on top of the sauce.
Step 29 -Bake until hot and golden, about 30 minutes.
Step 30 -Serve.
