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    Chicken Divan

    Chicken Divan is a cheesy chicken bake that’s great for a cozy night in. Serve with a side of rice for a classic casserole dinner.

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    chicken divan in a casserole dish with a serving spoon made with chicken, broccoli, cheese and topped with panko
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    A Classic Chicken Dish Made Modern

    If you ask us, chicken divan conjures the golden age of ladies who lunch, perhaps with a martini or glass of crisp white wine in hand. Why do they call it chicken divan? The original chicken divan recipe has been attributed to the Divan Parisien Restaurant at Chatham Hotel in New York City, where it was created by a chef called Lagasi in the early twentieth century. Lagasi kept his recipe a secret, but apparently the maître d'hôtel of the Divan Parisien leaked some recipe notes and the chicken divan casserole we eat today is a version of the original version that included poached chicken, broccoli, and Mornay sauce (which is béchamel sauce enriched with cheese–yum!). Our recipe calls for shredded chicken, so you can use leftover chicken or follow our tips to make Perfect Poached Chicken breasts.

    broccoli, chicken, cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, spices and panko in bowls for chicken divan
    broccoli being cooked in a pot of salted water
    salt, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, garlic & onion powders, curry powder, bouillon, chicken, & cheese in a bowl
    salt, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, garlic & onion powders, curry powder, bouillon, chicken, & cheese in a bowl

    How To Make The Best Chicken Divan Recipe

    1. Cook the broccoli. Boil in salted water until bright green, about three minutes.

    2. Prepare the sauce–mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasoning, bouillon, chicken and half of the cheese and stir until everything is combined. Place broccoli in chicken mixture and mix gently until everything is mixed together.

    3. Put everything into the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

    4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and the cheese is melted.

    5. Make the panko breadcrumbs and butter topping.

    6. Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the heat to 400°F. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

    7. Serve warm over cooked rice, if using. You can check out our tips for making Brown Rice and White Rice, depending on your preference.

    salt, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasonings, chicken, broccoli & cheese in a bowl
    chicken divan in a casserole dish topped with shredded cheese
    chicken divan in a casserole dish topped with shredded cheese and panko breadcrumbs ready to be baked
    chicken divan in a casserole dish with a serving spoon made with chicken, broccoli, cheese and topped with panko

    What To Serve With Chicken Divan

    Since chicken divan has a rich, creamy sauce we think a crisp salad on the side would be a fresh accompaniment. A crunchy Caesar Salad or a Classic Wedge Salad, would make this entire meal feel like a night at a restaurant. You could keep things basic and delicious with our Simple Butter Lettuce Salad, or add a little extra flavor with an Easy Fennel Salad. A side dish of vegetables would also round out the meal, and a crunchy bowl of Green Beans Almondine sounds just right.

    Tools You’ll Need

    Did Someone Say Chicken Dinner?

    We love an easy baked chicken dish for dinner. In fact, we’ve developed quite a collection of delicious easy chicken dinner recipes. Take a look at some of these ideas from our recipe box:

    chicken divan in a casserole dish with a serving spoon made with chicken, broccoli, cheese and topped with panko
    chicken divan made with chicken, broccoli, cheese and panko in a bowl served on top of white rice

    We Want To See Your Classic Chicken Dinner

    Did you make this scrumptious chicken divan recipe? We want to see a picture and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

    Related Recipes

    Chicken Divan

    Originally published: December 23, 2022

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories: 293
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound broccoli florets (about 8 cups)
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for water
    • 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • ⅓ cup whole milk
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 tablespoon curry powder
    • 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
    • 3 cups shredded chicken
    • 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup panko, breadcrumbs, gluten-free panko or crushed Ritz crackers
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
    • Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

    2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Drain.

    3. In a large bowl, stir together the salt, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder, bouillon, chicken, and 1 ¼ cup of the cheese until combined. Gently fold in the broccoli, until combined.

    4. Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out into an even layer. Sprinkle all over with the remaining cheese.

    5. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and the cheese is melted.

    6. Meanwhile in a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and the butter.

    7. Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the heat to 400°F. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

    8. Serve warm over cooked rice, if using.


    To make-ahead and freeze:

    1. Before baking, cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap, then with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, defrost the casserole in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight. Bake as instructed.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories293
    • Protein19 g
    • Carbohydrates8 g
    • Total Fat17 g
    • Dietary Fiber2 g
    • Cholesterol98 mg
    • sodium434 mg
    • Total Sugars3 g

    Chicken Divan

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Steven Luciano

      Can a rotisserie chicken be used and should the Panko breadcrumbs be seasoned or unseasoned?

      Yes, you can use rotisserie chicken and unseasoned breadcrumbs. Hope you enjoy!

    • Tiffany Solberg

      Is there something you would suggest to use in place of the cream of chicken soup? Perhaps bechemel? Trying to avoid anything processed ;)

      There's not a great replacement for it in this recipe.

    • Ashley Sarieddine

      This looks amazing and something the entire family would love. If using chicken bouillon cubes, do the cubes need to be crushed to mix in? Thanks!

      Yes, we recommend crushing it in to a powder.

    • Julie

      I served this over rice and it was a big hit! Will definitely be throwing it into the rotation :)

      Thanks Julie, glad you loved it!

    • Lea Young

      I really liked the addition of curry to this dish - thought it added a bit of sweetness. Overall, super tasty comfort food that I’ll definitely make again!

      Thanks Lea, so glad you loved it!

    • Kinzer Jackson

      This was excellent, with the cheese, chicken, broccoli, and curry, it was reminiscent of a matty matheson dish but this was much lighter and I actually like it better. This will absolutely make it into our regular rotation!

      Thanks Kinzer, so glad you love it and it's going in rotation!

    • Jenn

      My family devoured this!

      YAY! Glad you all enjoyed it!