The Chicken Florentine that wasn't... exactly

Well, I left work early today because things were so slow, and when I got home I was faced with the puzzle of what to cook for dinner. I pulled out a couple of frozen chicken breasts, and while they were thawing, I went to Google to see what came up for recipes.

I didn't have all the ingredients for Chicken Florentine, which seemed the best best for the supplies I had on hand, so I just improvised all over the place *grinz*

The Beloved Husband liked it a lot, so I'm going to post the "recipe" now, in case I ever want to make it again.

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into half serving-size chunks
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup (well, one soup can) milk
• 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, mostly thawed
• 1 TB curry powder (or more, if you want a kick)
• 1-2 cups shredded swiss cheese (I used Emmenthaler, since I had it on hand)
• freshly ground pepper (don't make me swat you because you used that terrible PRE-ground stuff!!!)

Pull out a small casserole, perhaps 1 quart capacity, and dump the chicken in the bottom. Season with the pepper... Hm, and I suppose you could also add some extra curry powder (beyond the amount I gave above) for more depth of flavor.

Mix the soup, milk, curry powder and spinach in a bowl thoroughly, and then ladle over the chicken in the casserole.

Cook at 350°F for about 45 minutes (my chicken was pretty cold), or until bubbly, and then add the shredded swiss over the top in an even layer. Put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted, and perhaps browning a little on top (we were too impatient with hunger).

See? Simple, flavorful, and easy. Everyone should play Iron Chef with what they have in their pantry occasionally. Yeah, you'll get several duds, but sometimes you happen upon a gem that will become a family favorite.

Don't be afraid to experiment! After all, I think we all have a bit of the Mad Scientist within us ;-)

Comments

[Janette]

1.

Sounds great!

[Denita TwoDragons]

2.

YAY!! Someone else who grinds their pepper fresh! The only time I use that bland, stale, dusty crap is when we're stuck at a fast-food restaurant. And I end up having to use twice as much to get the flavor I want. Fresh-ground rocks!

Maybe try a dusting of Italian seasoning, rubbed in your palm to release the flavors. Or if you want to make it fusion, drop some cumin in with that curry... *traipses off to kitchen*

--TwoDragons

[Kat]

3.

The only pre-ground pepper I have is white pepper (and I ground THAT
myself, LOL)! I even talk my precious peppermill with me when we go
RVing!

[Denita TwoDragons]

4.

We wear out pepper mills within a few months! so when that happens, I'll grind my pepper in my mortar and pestle. It still proves to be the best way to bring out the most flavor from the corns, and well worth the extra bit of effort.

*sigh* I haven't been able to afford white pepper in a long time. It's so good on a hot, steaming bowl of clam chowder, too...

--TwoDragons

[Kat]

5.

Really? You WEAR THEM OUT????!!!! Whoa...

I've been using this baby for years, and it's chugging along just beautifully! One of two things I purchased on the strength of a recommendation from Cook's Illustrated (the other being the Krups Espresso machine, which still works like a champ, but has now been relegated to the RV, thanks to the WONDERFUL Christmas pressie from my Beloved), and both of which have been mainstays of my kitchen...

Denita, I may have to figure a way to get a Magnum Unicorn peppermill to you, to see if you can wear IT out! ;-)

[Denita TwoDragons]

6.

Hee hee! Yep, we are absolute heck on our peppermills. We even tore through one of those pepper balls (the ones you squeeze instead of twist) in less than two months. What can I say...I love pepper! *grin*

Someone tried to tell me black pepper is some horrible stuff that rips up your digestive system. I told them I doubt it would do much damage to mine, because the jolokia and habanero peppers would certainly get to it first. Then I burped and gave him second-degree burns... ;-P

--TwoDragons