Christmassy Traditions

Growing up, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was watching White Christmas with my dad, and eating his "Chicken in the Oven." It was our Sunday night thing. In honor of that magnificent tradition, I share with you an altered, dairy-free version of one of my favorite meals.

Ingredients:
1 package boneless chicken breast, thawed
2 Tbsp. vegan butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy milk
chicken bouillon packet (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in 9"x13" baking dish, set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat, add broth and milk slowly; stirring constantly to keep smooth. Return to heat (this is where I added the bouillon packet) and bring to a gentle boil. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Pour over chicken and bake 30-45 minutes.

I should also mention, I changed up my mashed potato routine too. A while back, I read that if you use chicken broth instead of milk, it makes all the difference. Oh my gosh, guys, it really does make a difference! I boiled 4 cubed potatoes, like usual, drained, added a couple tablespoons of vegan butter (Cole is really loving mashed potatoes right now!), and added the broth, voila! I'm not sure on the amount, if I had to guess, I probably added about 1/2-3/4 cup broth. I usually don't like left over mashed potatoes, but these did not disappoint!

It wouldn't be Chicken in the Oven, without a side of green beans! Mmmmm! I hope you guys give this recipe a shot, it really is quick and easy! If you don't want to make your own cream of chicken, you can always buy a can; in a bowl, whisk it together with a can of water and then add it to the chicken. Next time, I think I'll double my cream of chicken recipe, so I have a little more gravy.