Chicken Divan

This Chicken Divan is the chicken casserole of your dreams! Cheesy, creamy, made with chicken, and tender florets of broccoli topped with a crunchy panko topping. With 5 minutes of prep, you’ll have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!

I’m still day dreaming about this chicken divan! All that cheese, the creamy sauce, and my favorite part: the broccoli. Sounds crazy? I know! Just hear me out. The florets soak up all that incredible sauce. Each bite gushing with flavor. Broccoli and cheese are a combination that hold such a special place in my heart.

Besides my undying love of sauce-soaked broccoli, this is a recipe I love to use when I have leftover chicken to use up. For these photos I used some cubed up chicken breast fried in a skillet, however I usually go for some leftovers from the night before. Shredded, diced, breast, thigh, meat from a drumstick- use whatever you have in the fridge.

What is chicken divan?

Named after the restaurant it was created in, Divan Parisian, this dish was originally created with chicken, broccoli, and a classic bechamel sauce made with Gruyere cheese. It was served as their signature dish, being both incredibly delicious yet easy to make.

It’s hard to believe this classic casserole was such a coveted dish back in its day; we never see these delicious, filling, and simple casseroles served in restaurants anymore! It has since become a favorite in North American households.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

• Broccoli – Fresh or frozen.
• Chicken – Pre-cooked. I fried up some cubed chicken breast in a skillet, however this is a great opportunity to use up leftovers.
• Condensed soup – I used cream of chicken. Any “cream of” condensed soup flavor you like best will work.
• Sour cream – Or Greek yogurt.
• Cheddar cheese – Marble, Monterey Jack, Colby, Gruyere or Swiss will all work as well.
• Milk – Any type, even non-dairy alternatives.
• Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
• Breadcrumbs – I used panko to give a perfectly crisp top.
• Butter – Unsalted. Margarine or other alternatives can be used instead.

How to make chicken divan

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Place broccoli in a large pot boiling water and cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until tender crisp.  Drain well.
2. Mix: In a large bowl combine the cooked chicken, chicken soup, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the broccoli.
3. Dump: Transfer to a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Top: In a small bowl toss the breadcrumbs together with the butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the casserole.
5. Bake: Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Can I use different veggies?

Of course you can! You can add a medley of veggies, or just one of these suggestions:

• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Green beans
• Carrots
• Corn
• Mushrooms
• Kale/ spinach

How to serve

Since this recipe features chicken and broccoli, chicken divan is usually served all on its own. Bring some hot sauce or red pepper flakes to the table, a loaf of freshly baked bread, and dig in.

If you don’t mind adding some carbs and would like a bit more sustenance to the meal, this dish would be great over some rice or pasta. It’s nice to have something to soak up that cheesy sauce!

Leftovers

You can wrap your casserole dish well with foil, or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Reheat either in the microwave, or you can use the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F. If not already in one, transfer the leftovers to a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

Make your casserole ahead

You can prep this recipe and keep it in the fridge 2-3 days ahead of time. Cover it well with plastic wrap or foil to store. My only piece of advice is to leave the breadcrumb topping off until right before baking to keep it nice and crisp.

This is one of those easy dinners that I will prep ahead of time, and freeze for an easy dinner. You can freeze it baked or unbaked.

Unbaked

1. Prep the chicken divan in a casserole dish. Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil.
2. Freeze for 2-6 months.
3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the foil and plastic wrap from the casserole dish.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Baked

1. Let the chicken divan fully cool down to room temperature. Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil.
2. Freeze for 2-6 months.
3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the plastic wrap from under the foil, the cover it back up with the foil.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, then bake for another 5 minutes until bubbly and heated through.

Looking for more easy dinners like this?

• One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Chicken Broccoli Pasta
• No Peek Chicken Rice Casserole
• Chicken on the Ritz
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Beef Tamale Casserole
• Cabbage Roll Casserole
• Taco Stuffed Pepper Casserole