Chicken done right...

[rowangolightly]

Making dinner from scratch really isn't hard at all!

Here I took Kraft's "shortcut" version and made it into a "real foods" version:

Shortcut Chicken Manicotti

Makes:
4 servings, 3 stuffed manicotti each
Italicizing the original ingredients that I replace)

(1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup)
Replace with:
3/4 cup finely chopped onion,
1 clove minced garlic and
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
Saute in 2 tbsp butter or olive oil until cooked translucent but not browned
Stir in 1/2 cup flour til well blended but not browned
Stir in 1 cup milk and cook for 3-4 minutes (this is also known as a blonde roux)

1-1/2 cups water (or milk or wine combo - I dislike using water in a recipe because it adds nothing!)
(1/4 lb. (4 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
Replace with:
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese
2 cups frozen broccoli florets (I use fresh broccoli)
12 manicotti shells, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese


HEAT oven to 400ºF. Cook the broccoli til barely cooked. Make the blonde roux; when done, add the cheese and keep stirring, add just enough liquid to have good texture when the cheese is melted. Add broccoli, stir and cook for 2 more minutes; pour 1/3 of soup mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Set aside remaining mixture.

STUFF manicotti with chicken; place in baking dish. Top with remaining soup mixture and Parmesan; cover with foil.

BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until manicotti is tender and chicken is done. (I would serve this with hot rolls!)

Comments

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Good for you! We buy ours in bulk at the local Country Mart and then Bruce cuts it up and I shrink wrap it!