There's a family standby called Chicken in the Garden. Basically, it's what's left after a roasted or baked (or even fried) chicken has hit the table. Most people would make chicken salad. My family turns it into a leftover feast. Basically you take the cooked chicken and mix it in with whatever vegetables you have left over make a little white sauce, and serve. It's not the prettiest dish but it is tasty.

This is a variation on that theme that require a little more work -- in that you cook the chicken for the dish instead of using what you had left over.

What you need:

for the chicken:

1 lb. of chicken strips (like you get at the meat counter for fajitas or stir fry)
2 Tbs. of oil (regular vegetable oil is fine)
1 Tbs. of butter
the juice of 1 lemon
lemon pepper seasoning
black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 large sauté pan
a large strainer or wire mesh colander

For the garden

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (I kind of like Birdseye's Baby Broccoli mix but feel free to use your favorites
1 half box (or 1/2 lb.) of medium pasta shells or ribbons, cooked and returned to pan or microwave dish.
A good sized casserole dish, microwave safe.

For the cheese

1/2 stick of butter (seriously, don't be looking for low fat low calorie)
2 Tbs. plain flour
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. dried minced onion
2 tsp. dried parsley (or2 Tbs. fresh, chopped fine)
1 cup milk or cream
1 12 oz package shredded sharp cheddar.
1/4 cup white wine warmed.
A sauce pan

to prepare: Cook the pasta, drain, do not rinse. Add the frozen vegetable and toss, cover and set aside.

in the sauté pan at medium-high to high heat, heat oil, add butter and allow to melt and start bubbling. Add the chicken. and sprinkle the lemon pepper and black pepper over the chicken, turn to brown, reduce the heat to low and cover.

In the sauce pan, melt the 2 Tbs. of butter, sprinkle with the flour and stir or whisk to create a roux. Do this over low heat -- you don't want it to brown. When the flour and butter are mixed (will kind of look like wheat paste but with fewer lumps) slowly add half the milk, stirring constantly. Add the cayenne, minced onion and cheese, stirring until the cheese melts and adding the rest of the milk to keep it smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the warmed wine, and the parsley. put the shells and vegetables into the casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over them, mixing well. Put in the microwave and heat on high for three minutes to makes sure you vegetables are no longer frozen. The cheese sauce may get mealy if the vegetables are still cold, but heating it will smooth it out.

Uncover the chicken, and remove to a cutting board. Bring the juice in the sauté pan up to hot again and add the wine. With a good knife, rough chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces and return to the pan. Squeeze lemon over chicken and wine mix and sauté for a few minutes until well coated (This is going to be a rich and aromatic glaze.) Transfer chicken to the wire mesh colander and drain well.

Add the chicken to the veg, pasta and cheese mixture, and mix well. Microwave for a couple more minutes if the veg and pasta has cooled (This dish stands up to multiple reheats.)

Serve.