Chicken Divan, Lightened Up!

Last night I put together a lightened version of a chicken divan casserole to have for dinner tonight.  I have never had chicken divan so I really don't have anything to compare it to, but what I tasted as I was putting it together was great, so I know it's going to be a keeper! (we have had it now & loved it!)

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Gina's Skinny Recipe's.   Her blog reminds me of the magazine Cooking Light.  She lightens up some of her favorite dishes, and scores each recipe with Weight Watcher's points.  So, this one is extremely healthy, too!  It has 7 Weight Watcher's points & only 335.7 calories.  The only thing I changed was adding more onion to increase flavor.


Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs broccoli (3 large heads) chopped
• 24 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 18 oz cooked)
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 2 oz dry sherry (white wine would work)
• 6 oz shredded reduced-fat swiss
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• cooking spray

Directions:  
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Using a grill pan or Forman grill, saute chicken on medium-low heat on both sides until browned, and just about cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board. When cooled, slice chicken into bite sized pieces.

Heat a medium sized skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and oil until melted and then add garlic and shallots. Sprinkle the flour and whisk until smooth. Stir in broth, milk and sherry and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in half of the swiss cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange the broccoli in a casserole dish and pour half of the sauce over the broccoli. Arrange the chicken on top and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining swiss cheese, grated parmesan and top with breadcrumbs. Spray a little oil on top.

Bake 30 minutes, serve hot.