Frozen Dinner Swap: Chicken Divan

One of my best friends hates cheese. I'm not going to reveal her name because I'm pretty sure this news would cause the townspeople to descend upon her house with pitchforks and torches like in "Beauty and the Beast." I don't want to cause her any harm, but it's been a challenge to accept someone into my inner circle who doesn't like cheese. I choose to look at the positives, and with her around that means more cheese for me.

Needless to say, when I pulled this dish out of the freezer, I didn't extend a dinner invitation to my cheese-hating friend.

Look at that molten layer of cheese! If it wasn't bubbling and fresh from the oven and if my husband wasn't watching, I would have face planted into this dish. No matter how delicious it looks, you really can't face plant as a newlywed. I'm trying to keep the romance alive.

The cheddar cheese is the star of this dish. It's sharp flavor mixes well with the creaminess of the casserole. I've eaten the leftovers for the past two days as my lunch. Chicken Divan is a fairly common chicken dish, but I've never tried it. I have to thank the divine Ginny Dean for introducing me to Chicken Divan. I will be making this.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Divan

2 1/2 cups cooked chopped broccoli

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat

2 4.5 oz cans mushrooms, drained

1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained (optional)

2 10.75 oz cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Arrange cooked broccoli in a lightly greased 3 quart casserole dish. Arrange chicken over broccoli. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts.
• In a medium bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and butter/margarine. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Serve hot with rice, fresh fruit or salad. Enjoy!

This final photo makes me think two things:

1. I'm ready for my new dinnerware to be in.

2. Chicken casseroles never plate or photograph as well/good as they taste. I'm sorry Chicken Divan, I know some people will judge you before ever getting to know you. It's an injustice!

And as my parting words, let's play a game called "Guess That Frozen Dinner Role." If I know you, the grand prize will be me bringing you a bag of them the next time I see you. If I don't know you, the grand prize will be the satisfaction of knowing these rolls exist.