recipe of the week: creamy herbed chicken and homemade mashed potatoes

so i didn't know what to make for dinner the other night but i knew i wanted to use some of the broccoli i got on sale this week! so i started meandering around my kitchen, smelling spices in my spice cabinet, seeing what else i had in my refrigerator, etc. this creamy herbed chicken and mashed potatoes turned out sooo yummy! warm and hearty and i know you'll love it! my husband said the one thing he would have done different would be to include rolls "with lots of butter". ("healthy cooking" is a lot harder for him than the "on a budget" part is!) coriander might sound like a weird spice, but it's soooo yummy! buy some and i promise to post more recipes with coriander! :) best part - it cost less than $5 to make!

creamy herbed chicken and homemade mashed potatoes

is it possible my food photography is getting worse? :)

1 chicken breast, cut into bit-sized pieces
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 ½ cup sliced carrots (use regular carrots and cut them pretty thin so they sort of look like baby carrots)
1 ½ cups broccoli, in bite-sized pieces or a little bigger
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon parsley
¼ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons flour
salt to taste

1. combine all ingredients above (accept flour) in large saucepan. Mix well. (Sauce will seem too thick at first, but it will thin out a ton as the veggies cook.) bring to a boil on med/high and then turn heat to low and cover. simmer covered for 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked and carrots and broccoli are tender. check and stir frequently.
2. when it is done, push the chicken and veggies to the middle so thin broth collects on the side. add the flour and then stir until sauce is thicker and ingredients are evenly coated.
3. sprinkle with a little bit of salt over the top (to taste) to magnify flavors.

makes 4 servings. serve with mashed potatoes and rolls of your choice.

if you’ve never made mashed potatoes from scratch, here’s an easy way i made mine with this dish:

5 small-medium potatoes (idaho)
2 ½ tablespoons fat free sour cream (it’s all i had left!)
1 tablespoon butter (not spread – actual butter!)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper (maybe a little less if you’re sensitive to pepper)

1. clean and peel potatoes.
2. boil in water until fork goes through easily
3. add sour cream and butter and let melt. add salt and pepper and whip to perfection!

this week's sale alert!!! will be changed this afternoon... after my "junk mail", a.k.a. sale adds, show up in my mail box!