Broccoli Chicken A La King and a Ham Variation

 

Broccoli Chicken a La King


I love vintage recipes! This one comes from my youth, when the can of soup and the microwave would set the housewife free from the drudgery of the kitchen. This was the age when the woman was supposed to be Super Mom, able to work a full-time job and then come home and whip up a nutritious meal in only a few minutes. The manufacturer's ideas of what was nutritious were flexible, of course. 

The true beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. There are options on the cheese, the meat, and what you serve it on top with. What Mom did back then depended on her own energy level, but I personally would recommend either tossing a baking potato or three in the Instant Pot if you have a few extra minutes. 


Notes:

1. While I know I'll get some hate for this; I use and keep Spam and canned cooked chicken around for those days when I forgot to defrost something. These "shelf special" recipes have saved me plenty of money, since I didn't have to resort to fast food. I keep egg noodles, cans of soup, shredded cheeses, and canned meats around for just such occasions. 

2. This is an opportunity to bring up an easy to find item in thrift stores: small to medium sized ceramic and/or glass casserole dishes. I took a tracing of the inside of my air fryer and kept it in my wallet. When I found a likely candidate casserole dish, I took out the tracing and made sure the casserole would fit the tightest space in my kitchen: the air fryer. I don't mind washing small casseroles with cute little blue cornflowers. (I don't own a dishwasher.) It's fast and easy to air fry a little bit of onion, pepper, and maybe an extra bit of veggie if I wanted to. I can defrost a meat patty in the microwave in a ceramic casserole with the lid on to contain spatters, remove the lid and pop the casserole dish in the air fryer for a nice finishing crispiness. Ceramic and glass casseroles are a worthwhile addition to the efficient kitchen since they can go from microwave to air fryer to oven, depending on the recipe or need. Some even stack nicely in the fridge after the meal is done, saving on plastic storage containers and time. (Flip the lid over if there's a knob on top.) 

Sources

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Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sold via the link. I personally am not an affiliate, nor do I earn commissions on products. The links provided are examples of what's available online. 

Lena Austin

www.fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

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