{Recipe} Chicken & Broccoli Bake

I love a good casserole. However, the only kind I know how to make don't exactly scream healthy. So I turned to Kelly at Eat Yourself Skinny where I found this recipe for Chicken Divan. I have never had Chicken Divan...and have never heard of it either. Lets just call it what it is. Chicken & Broccoli Bake.  It is a lighter dish and delicious so it is important to watch portion control! I definitely recommend having a salad or side dish to go along with.

ABOUT
Serves: 4-6
Cook time according to Kelly: She didn't say
Cook time according to Rachel: 1 hour 25 minutes
How hard was this for Rachel to make? It is a bit involved & requires a lot of ingredients but I cheated a few of the instructions and made it a little easier.

INGREDIENTS
3 large heads of broccoli (1.5 lbs) chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp light butter (I prefer smart balance)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp onions (recipe calls for shallots, minced)
4 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 cup fat free milt
1/4 cup white wine
6 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar jack (recipe calls for swiss)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
salt & pepper
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chopped broccoli. Directions call to "blanch" the broccoli. This led me to google because hell if I know what that means. I found a helpful tutorial (How to blanch veggies) 

                  

Instead of dealing with the bowl of ice, you can also rinse the broccoli in cold water for a minute or so & it will stop the cooking. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt & pepper. 

In a large skillet, sauté chicken on medium heat until both sides browned & just about cooked through, but not completely. About 5ish mins on each side.  

Remove from heat and transfer chicken to cutting board. 

When cooled, slice chicken into bite sized pieces. Inside should still be slightly pink.

Using the same skillet, over medium heat,  add butter & oil until melted. 

Then add garlic & onions.  

Be careful not to burn garlic & onions...clearly I've never done that :)

Add flour & whisk until smooth. 

Stir in wine & bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in half of the cheddar jack cheese (not pictured, dumb phone died).

    Season cheese mix with salt & pepper.                     

Grease 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange broccoli in dish & pour half the sauce over the broccoli.

Arrange chicken on top of broccoli & cover with remaining sauce. 

Sprinkle in remaining cheddar jack cheese, parmesan cheese and top with bread crumbs.

        Bake 30 minutes. 

Let sit for 5-10 minutes for casserole to solidify a bit.                                

Serve & enjoy!