Chicken Divan

After a long, stressful day of work, nobody really wants to come home and spend all night preparing a nutritious, filling meal for the family. I don't know about you, but I'd just as soon kick back in a chair with a couple of beers and wait for the delivery guy to show up at the door. Unfortunately, we all know that is rarely--if ever--the case; our families depend on us for sustenance...or, at the very least, look forward to a nice hot meal every night.

Luckily, this is one recipe that should cover all the bases; it's quick and easy, very filling, and possibly even nutritious. To top it off, it can even double as some good old-fashioned comfort food for those blah-type rainy days. Win all around, I say. This is even one that can easily involve the entire family without totally overcrowding the kitchen. Time to round up the troops, gather your supplies, and get ready to put together this classic American casserole!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed (you can also use pre-cooked chicken)

- 2 lbs fresh broccoli (about 4 cups)

- 1 10.75oz can cream of mushroom condensed soup (or cream of celery if you're not a mushroom fan)

- 1/3 cup milk

- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

- 1/3-1/2 cup bread crumbs

- 4tbsp butter, melted

- 2tbsp olive oil

- salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

The chicken, just "browned" on the outsid

1. Preheat oven to 450°F

2. Chop the broccoli heads into manageable, bite-sized pieces. Put in a saucepan with water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium pan. Add the chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink on the outside.

3. Put the broccoli in a single layer on the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish, then layer the chicken on top. Mix the cream of mushroom and the milk, pour over the top, then sprinkle the cheese over that (feel free to use as much as you want--there's no such thing as too much cheese!). Mix the bread crumbs into the melted butter, using as much as you need to achieve a nice, fluffy mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese layer.

4. Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, until golden-brown and bubbly. Let stand for another 10-15 minutes, then serve with some nice warm rolls. (Serves 6)

There's all sorts of variations on this, too, so please experiment and make it your own! Try different seasonings with the chicken, add some onion into the pan while you're cooking the chicken, use half a can each of cream of mushroom and cream of celery, use grated parmesan instead of (or in addition to) the cheddar.....whatever makes it work best for you and your family. If you've found something that makes this even better, please share it in a comment!

Enjoy!

The finished product, fresh from the oven.

Creamy Tomato Rigatoni

When you're in the mood for fancy food but just don't feel like getting all dressed up and paying big bucks for a stuffy waiter and overpriced wine, what do you do? Well, if your first answer was "check out Jon's food blog and see what we can make at home," you're on the right track. On the other hand, if looking up the number to Domino's was where you went, you might want to rethink your overall life strategy.

Now I don't consider myself a maker of fancy food by any means; all I strive for is to make my meals tasty and filling. At the same time, I want them to evoke a sense of something more...I want to be able to experience the flavors, the history, everything about the dish. Otherwise, I'd just make myself a box of Mac & Cheese and call it a night. Simple yet elegant is where it's at for me, and I think this dish accomplishes that easily. It can be ready in less than an hour, and it can be easily scaled to fit any size gathering of family and friends.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3oz stick of pepperoni, finely chopped (for a lighter dish, use 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into just-smaller-than-bite-sized pieces)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~1/2 cup dry white wine (I like a cheap vermouth)
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbps sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 pounds rigatoni (use more or less depending on the crowd)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Sauce just after stirring in cream.

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and melt the better in the pan. Add pepperoni (or chicken) and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute longer).

2. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until almost evaporated (2-3 minutes). Stir in tomatoes and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened (15-20 minutes). Stir in heavy cream and season with salt & pepper to taste.

3. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Drain and return to pot. Combine with sauce and basil and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

No pasta dish is complete without a good side salad, and today just happens to be your lucky day because I'm also going to share a fantastic companion salad to this dish. It's super easy and full of flavor and really compliments the pasta well. And as with any good Italian-style meal, serve with plenty of warm bread and butter (or my favorite, garlic bread).

Tangy Spinach Salad
1 9oz bag baby spinach
~1/3lb (1 container) goat cheese
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 bottle of your favorite balsamic dressing
1/2 pint fresh blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

**Note: I recommend using either the blueberry/cranberry mix OR the tomatoes, but not both.

Combine spinach, tomatoes, onion, and/or fruit (if using) in a large salad bowl and toss well. Mix in dressing. Toss in cheese just before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Nothing says "family meal" like a giant lasagna. And nothing says "hurry up in the bathroom" like a ton of cheese and hot sauce. This dish combines the best of both worlds: a big pan of comfort food with just enough kick to warm things up no matter the time of year. I recommend serving with a nice fresh green salad and giant slices of oven-fresh corn bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced (prepacked cooked chicken works great)
24oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
12oz of your favorite buffalo/hot sauce (I like Frank's)
1tsp garlic powder
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium-large green bell pepper, chopped
6oz banana pepper rings, chopped (1/2 a jar)
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
2 packages "oven ready" lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Reserve 3oz of hot sauce, and place the rest in a bowl with the chicken; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix well again upon removing chicken from the fridge.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Lightly grease a lasagna pan.

3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the bowl, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine with pasta sauce, remaining 3oz of hot sauce, garlic powder, onion, bell pepper, banana peppers, and mushrooms. Mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the egg and ricotta cheese.

4. Spread about 1 cup of the chicken/sauce mixture in the bottom of the greased pan. Layer with lasagna noodles, then another 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the chicken mixture. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta/egg mixture on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles, 1cup of the chicken mixture, the second half of the ricotta mixture, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining chicken mixture, and the final 1/3 of the mozzarella.

5. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350° F for 70 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle bleu cheese over the top and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy, and welcome to the Epic Experience of Food!