Water Chestnut Chicken Divan

Hey there, Monday peeps!

Here is an easy recipe (and Carter family favorite) that looks super fancy!  It is healthy & a "one pan dinner" so you really don't need any additional side.  Add it to your menu this week!

Water Chestnut Chicken Divan

(serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken, cooked & shredded

2 bags frozen broccoli, cooked (or 3 heads of fresh broccoli, steamed)

1 large can water chestnuts, drained

1 T butter

2 t olive oil

2 t minced garlic

chopped onion - I just throw in a little, and I don't measure it

1/4 cup flour

1 cup fat free chicken broth

1 cup skim milk

2 oz dry white cooking wine

6 oz swiss cheese, divided

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9X13 pan & set aside.  Cook chicken & broccoli and set aside (sometimes I grab a rotisserie chicken from the store if I am in a bind!).  In a large skillet, heat your butter, olive oil, garlic and chopped onion.  Stir well until butter is melted.  Sprinkle in your flour and mix quickly.  Add in broth, milk, and cooking wine.  Bring to a boil...stirring constantly.  (Basically you are making your own cream of chicken sauce - minus the processed junk in the can and yucky sound it makes when you dump it out - eek!)  Remove from heat and stir in half of your swiss cheese.  Stir well and the sauce will start to thicken a bit.

Line your pan with all of the broccoli.  Top with water chestnuts.  We LOVE water chestnuts and sometimes I will add more than one can.  Just make sure to drain first.  If you don't like water chestnuts, feel free to omit.  Next, top with half of sauce mixture.  Sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Top with chicken.  Cover with remaining sauce and remaining half of swiss cheese.  Sprinkle bread crumbs and parmesan cheese on top.  Finally, I take a little cooking spray and spray the whole top - this sets the dish!

Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown.  Serve hot with french bread.  Your family will love it and your Monday meal is taken care of!  :)

Taco Tuesday...skinny Mexican casserole

Here is a yummy casserole that is easy to throw together for your Taco Tuesday.  Enjoy!

Skinny Mexican Casserole 

(serves 4-6)

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey), cooked & drained

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 large tomato, diced

1 can Grands biscuits (8 count), cut into small pieces

taco seasoning - to taste 

1 cup shredded cheese (I used reduced fat)

Garnish: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, etc 

Preheat oven to 350.  Brown your ground beef and chopped onion, drain if needed.  Stir in your taco seasoning (I don't use very much).  Spray a 9X13 pan and set aside.  Chop 4 biscuits into small pieces and sprinkle along the bottom of your pan.  They won't cover the whole pan but that is fine.  Spoon on half of your meat.  Top with half of your veggies (red/green pepper, tomato), then cheese.  Repeat: remaining biscuit pieces, meat, veggies, cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until biscuits are brown.  Top with garnish of choice!  This doesn't really require any sides, but you could do corn, black beans, or a simple salad!  Enjoy!  

Friday Favorites

Yikes...it has been so long since I blogged.  I barely could recall my password to get in.  Then I remembered it is the same password that I use for everything, so crisis averted.  #notmyaddress #ormybirthday #butclose

Linking up today with Andrea for Friday Favorites!  Here is what I have been loving this week!

I am pretty sure everyone in America could put one of these shows on their Friday Favorites today.  I mean - they couldn't be more different, but when you have an obsessive personality these shows have to be at the top of your list.  Fuller House.  Ahhhh, you are like a favorite fuzzy blanket that I found in the back of my closet.  And, John Stamos - you have stood the test of time. #havemercy  Sure - I love the first series much better, but I enjoy some mindless television every once in awhile!  I do hope they decide to go for another season!

And, O.J...I bet you are loving all this new found stardom from your jail cell.  I was obsessed with the trial back in 1994 & I am re-obsessed with this series now.  I just had to google the crime scene photos, stalk Mark Fuhrman on Facebook & and/or put a hold on every OJ book our library carries.  It is fascinating!  It is also fascinating that he wasn't found guilty!

Speaking of fascinating - this book.  I am usually a Nicholas Sparks/Chick Lit type of gal, but this caught my eye after we recently watched the author speak to Diane Sawyer.  The author is the mother of one of the shooters at Columbine.  The book is a page turner.  Just not at night.  It makes me scared.  The statistics and data given in this book are downright overwhelming.  The FBI profiler on the case goes on to explain that there is no formula when it comes to most school shootings....except for one thing: they tend to be young, white males.  Gulp.  I am raising a young, white male.  This mother wrote it from a very humble perspective, and seems very truthful in things that she missed and what she would have done differently while raising her teenage son.  Both shooters came from a "normal" 2-parent family.  They weren't "trouble-makers" necessarily and participated in school activities, held jobs, had friends, etc.  But there were some major red flags & she does address them.  I can't get a certain part out of my mind.  She simply says that "Loving your child is not enough."  She loved her son dearly and look what happened.  I think we, as parents, need to be more invested in our children's mental health, just as we are invested in their physical health.

I was a double major in college (education and sociology) and sometimes I wish I would have used my sociology major for something.  Maybe I will someday.  Things like this just make me want to study people all day.  Columbine was a very memorable tragedy growing up.  Who doesn't remember the images: students running out with their hands over the head, the boy falling out of the window, all with the pretty Colorado landscape in the background.  The cousin of my boyfriend at the time was actually one of the students shot, but thankfully she survived.  So that definitely hit home as all of this was blasted on national television.  Her name was Casey & I remember asking him years later how she was doing.  He said she still couldn't sleep at night.  I can't imagine.  Even though this was a very heavy topic, it still made the list this week.  I also love that the author is donating 100% of the proceeds to teen mental health/suicide prevention organizations.

Whew - now a lighter Friday Favorites...this hair product!  Fellow bird's nest heads unite!  I randomly saw this in the grocery the other day & thought I would give it a whirl.  It is supposed to cut your drying time down and it really works for me!  Now I am not near as sweaty or annoyed after drying my hair!  #thickhairprobs

A new recent favorite for me - tea!  I got a sweet Valentine gift from someone this year that was an adorable mug with various Tazo teas inside.  Now, I have a never-ending love for coffee #americanoforever, but have always loved tea as well.  Ever since I received that gift I find myself making more of it!  What are your favorite teas?

This punkin'.  Always on the Friday Favorites list.  I put this on Instagram saying that even though we share no DNA, sometimes I forget.  Actually I forget a lot.  This child was so chosen by God to be our son, it is not even funny.  I really can't imagine loving another human being more.  #adoptionrules

And, there you have it!  Happy Friday, party people!  Add some tea to your weekend.