Broccoli Chicken Ramen Casserole

This has become another family favorite. My son that hates cooked broccoli likes it, probably because it has Ramen in it (one of his favorite foods) but he complains about the mushrooms.

In the previous recipe for Steamed Broccoli, I went into detail about cutting the broccoli into spears. Chopping starts out similarly. Wash the broccoli. Cut off the stalk where it branches and trim the head into spears, cutting off leaves if you prefer. Now, dice the stems crosswise until you reach the flowers. Set the flowers stem down and cut into 2 to 4 sections depending on size.

Hold the stalk upright and use your trimming knife to slice thinly down the side of the stalk, just cutting off the peel. Turn it one quarter and slice again. Keep turning and slicing until peeled. Trim the corners of any remaining peel as needed. Trim the harvested end and slice the stalk lengthwise in similar size to the spears. Then slice the stalk crosswise.

I suppose it’s time for a discussion of bouillon base that I include in my recipes. The best ingredient is homemade broth, whether chicken, beef or vegetable. But that’s not usually available. Next in regards to quality could be canned broth, depending on how much salt and additives it contains. This is generally a pricey option. The additive I most like to avoid is MSG. Which is the main reason I toss the little flavor packets that come with Ramen. Then there are all those little cubes of bouillon. Read the label! Most of them contain MSG also. I find passable, the Tone’s Chicken and Beef Base sold at Sam’s Club. The best alternative to homemade broth is the Broth Powders from Frontier Natural Products.

I have included below the original recipe that inspired this dish. Thanks to Chad!

1 lb. (2 – 3) boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
6 cups (2 – 3 heads) broccoli, chopped

1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt or buttermilk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon base
1 tsp. sugar
2 pkg. Ramen noodles, broken
½ cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat a 9” x 13” glass baking dish with canola oil spray.

Heat 4 ½ quart Dutch oven, until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Return to very low heat while dicing chicken and vegetables.

Sauté chicken with onion and garlic over high heat until lightly browned.

Add broccoli and stir fry until broccoli is bright green, about five minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in rest of ingredients.

Place mixture in prepared baking dish. Cover with foil.

Bake 45 minutes and uncover.

Bake 15 more minutes and remove from oven.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 10 to 12.

Subject: [dailyrecipes] Broccoli Casserole
From: Chad Hutton <chadnmichael2004@XXXXXX>
Sender: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com
Date: 7/7/2006 9:06 PM

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup blue cheese dressing
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Flavor Pack from Ramen
6 cups broccoli, peeled stems and heads, chopped and blanched in
salted water
12 ounces sliced mushrooms, Sautéed in 1 tablespoon butter
1 package chicken flavored Ramen noodles, broken up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl combine mayonnaise, yogurt, cheddar cheese, blue cheese dressing, eggs, salt, pepper, and flavor pack from noodles. In a separate bowl combine broccoli, mushrooms, and broken noodles then toss together wet mixture and vegetables to evenly coat. Place in an 8 by 8-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non- stick cooking spray and cook for 45 minutes covered. Then remove cover and bake for additional 15 minutes to brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings