Chicken Divan

Claire Douglass continues her meal in Wisconsin with a main course of Chicken Divan

Last time I delighted you with a starter of ‘Seven Layer Salad’ and now I’m going to move on to a Wisconsin main, the legendary ‘Chicken Divan’.

My grandmama had a culinary maxim: “One never serves chicken to guests”. Seemingly, such an axiom is unknown in Wisconsin. Second only to ‘brats’ (a bulbous grayish sausage rather than a description of naughty children), chicken is the preferred main to be presented to guests in ‘The Dairyland State’.

Having politely, escaped seven layers of a Miracle Whip soaked salad, the table was laden with yet another layered concoction, this time, a ‘casserole’. Upon laying eyes on this offering and still feigning feeling ‘unwell’ to avoid any intimacy closer than I would allow a cab driver in Kabul, I requested the recipe, so that I might try it in future; by “future”, I meant on the day when HRH wears flip flops, chews gum and high fives Prince Charles.

For those interested in the exotic and weary of peacock pate or steamed moss, I give you a ‘taste’ of a land you may never visit:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray pan with PAM.

Ingredients:

1 package of egg noodles.

2 cans of condensed mushroom Campbell’s soup.

1 bag of frozen broccoli florets.

½ a cup of mayonnaise.

3 breasts of frozen chicken.

2 packages of Kraft shredded cheddar cheese.

2 cups of Progresso breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes.

The pièce de résistance? Serve with a ‘flourish’ of Frenche’s French fried onion rings fresh from the tin.

Why is it called ‘Chicken Divan’ you ask? The answer? Because it truly does taste like a piece of furniture.

Follow Claire Douglass on Twitter at @ClaireLaCubana.

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