Vegetarian "Chicken" Divan

Kristinkitchen.com
Serves 4-6
Creamy, extra saucy casserole with broccoli and mushrooms served with rice or noodles
​Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli florets, bite size pieces
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup 0% plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
• 12 Ritz crackers (or similar), crumbled
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided plus more to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Brown rice, egg noodles or quinoa for serving
• Chives, chopped for garnish (optional)

Preparation​

1. Grease an 8 x 8 square baking dish with butter and set aside
2. First prepare the broccoli. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spread the broccoli florets on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper
3. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over the broccoli and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the broccoli is tender with some caramelization. Remove from oven and lower the oven to 325 degrees
5. While the broccoli is roasting prepare the mushrooms and the yogurt. Add the yogurt and ground mustard to a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper
6. To make the mushrooms, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste
7. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 4 - 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. When there is 1 minute remaining in the cook time, add the minced garlic and stir to combine
8. Set the cooked broccoli and mushrooms aside
9. To prepare the sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat
10. Add the flour and whisk continuously for approximately 1 - 2 minutes (before it starts to brown)
11. Gradually add the warmed milk to the pot, stirring constantly while adding the milk
12. Turn the heat slightly up to medium and, stirring frequently, allow the sauce to bubble along the edge of the pot
13. Turn the heat back down to medium low and cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes while stirring frequently. The sauce should be thickened and will continue to thicken off the heat
14. As soon as the sauce is done, stir in the shredded cheese along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes
15. While the sauce is cooling, add the broccoli, 1/2 cup of cooked mushrooms and the chickpeas (if using) to the bottom of the greased pan. Sprinkle the crackers over the vegetables
16. Add the cooled sauce to a blender along with the remaining mushrooms (leave any liquid the mushrooms produced in the pan). Blend until mostly smooth
17. Add the sauce, yogurt and lemon juice to a bowl and stir to combine
18. Pour the combined sauce over the vegetables and crackers in the pan
19. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the entire dish
20. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. The dish should be bubbling and the cheese should be lightly browning
21. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve on top of rice, noodles or quinoa