Tonight’s dinner is a riff on our standard Classic Chicken Dinner which consists of chicken breast and gravy, butternut squash or rutabagas, and broccoli. The addition of Marsala, sautéed mushrooms, and some chicken stock to our packet of chicken gravy is all it takes to fancify our plates.

I took a shortcut by using Costco’s all white meat package from their rotisserie chickens. After bringing the gravy to a boil so the Marsala wine would turn into a subtle flavor rather than just boozy, I turned down the flame and plopped in the chicken. In a few minutes it was warmed through.

The hardest part of dealing with a butternut squash is to cut it longitudinally. That is definitely a job for John! He also scoops out the seeds which is an added bonus. Then I roast the halves in a 425F oven with a spray of olive oil, salt, and nutmeg. It takes about an hour depending on the size of your squash. The pulp is easily scraped away from the skin and usually needs more salt and a bit of butter as you mash it up.

The broccoli is simply steamed and rounds out a delicious dinner that is easy to make and fits well within a healthy eating budget.