Chicken Divan

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Easy Chicken Divan is a flavorful and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. With no mayo or cream of mushroom soup and a few healthier swaps, you’ll love this fresh spin on a classic.

Serve Chicken Divan on a bed of mashed potatoes or rice and alongside this simple fruit salad and these dinner rolls.

Freshly baked chicken divan in a casserole dish with a serving being scooped out to show the creamy interior.

What is Chicken Divan?

Chicken Divan is a casserole originally created at the Divan Parisian Restaurant in New York’s Chatham Hotel. It typically contains chicken, broccoli, and sauce.

The Chicken Divan I grew up on was loaded with whole milk or cream, cream of chicken soup, and sometimes mayo. Today we’re tossing out all of those ingredients and making this casserole more flavorful than ever.

Broccoli and chicken being added to the casserole dish.

Ingredients

  • Broccoli and Chicken: Broccoli adds a fresh, nutritious element, and cooked, cubed rotisserie chicken provides the main protein.
  • Butter and Flour: These are used to make a roux, which thickens the sauce in the chicken divan.
  • Milk and Chicken Stock: They create the base for the sauce, offering richness and flavor.
  • Cheddar Cheese: Adds creaminess and a sharp flavor to the sauce.
  • Sour Cream: Contributes to the sauce’s creamy texture and tanginess.
  • Chicken Bouillon Powder, Dijon Mustard, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Dried Parsley: These seasonings enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
  • Topping (Panko and Butter): Provides a crunchy texture contrast to the creamy casserole when toasted and sprinkled on top.

Pouring creamy, cheesy sauce over the dish in preparation for cooking.

How To Make Chicken Divan

  1. Preheat Oven: Set to 350°F.
  2. Prepare Veggies and Protein: Boil broccoli florets for 3 minutes, then drain. Chop rotisserie chicken into cubes.
  3. Make Sauce: In a pot, melt butter, mix in flour, gradually add milk and chicken stock, and stir in 1 cup cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, seasonings, and spices.
  4. Assemble: Layer broccoli and chicken in a 9×13-inch dish. Pour sauce over, top with remaining cheese.
  5. Prepare Topping: Toast panko in melted butter, then sprinkle over casserole.
  6. Bake: Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot.

Sprinkling panko breadcrumbs and shredded cheese to the chicken divan recipe.

Variations

  • Ritz Crackers: Substitute panko with crushed Ritz crackers for a different texture.
  • Mayo: Replace sour cream in this chicken divan with mayo, adding 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice.
  • Different Veggies: Swap broccoli with asparagus or frozen peas.
  • Curry Flavor: Add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of curry powder to the sauce, plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
  • With Rice: To have rice already added into the casserole dish, try this similar recipe.

The completed dish on the table, ready to be served and enjoyed.

STORAGE

  • Make Ahead: Assemble without baking, store in fridge for 2 days, panko separately. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes, add panko midway.
  • Reheat Chicken Divan: In oven at 350°F for 30 minutes covered, or microwave servings.
  • Freeze: Prepare without panko, cool, wrap, freeze up to 3 months. Thaw, bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, add panko last 10 minutes.

What To Serve With Chicken Divan

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Chicken Divan

4.92 from 34 votes
Easy Chicken Divan is a flavorful and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. With no mayo or cream of mushroom soup and a few healthier swaps, you'll love this fresh spin on a classic.
The completed dish on the table, ready to be served and enjoyed.
Print Recipe

Chicken Divan

The completed dish on the table, ready to be served and enjoyed.
4.92 from 34 votes
Easy Chicken Divan is a flavorful and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. With no mayo or cream of mushroom soup and a few healthier swaps, you'll love this fresh spin on a classic.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken divan
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Chelsea Lords
Calories 488kcal
Cost $5.31

Ingredients

  • 4 heaping cups fresh broccoli (2 florets; about 11 ounces)
  • 3 cups prepared rotisserie chicken cut into small cubes
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup white all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-fat milk (I use 1% to keep this healthier; skim or milk alternatives don't work well)
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese freshly grated, separated
  • 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream (regular sour cream can be used)
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley
  • Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Topping

  • 3/4 cup panko (or crushed Ritz crackers)
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  • BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add in chopped broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and let stand to thoroughly dry. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces to make 3 cups.
  • SAUCE: Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, gradually add in flour, whisking constantly until a thick paste forms. Whisk for one minute and then gradually add in 1/3 cup of the milk while continuing to whisk. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth. Add in another 1/3 cup milk, the remaining 1/3 cup stock, and last remaining 1/3 cup milk. Whisk until completely smooth. Add in 1 cup of cheese and whisk again until completely smooth. Add in sour cream and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chicken bouillon powder, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to taste preference).
  • ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Add the dry broccoli (if it's still wet, it will make the casserole soggy) to the base of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the chicken over top. Pour the sauce over everything, spread to evenly coat, and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top of sauce. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the panko and toast, stirring constantly, until crumbs are light brown and toasted. Sprinkle topping evenly over cheese. Cover casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Remove and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




64 Comments

  1. Chicken, broccoli, rice is one of our favorite meals. Your version looks amazing!
    Can’t go wrong with a great meal in under 30 minutes. Woot!

  2. I LOVE chicken divan! It reminds me of when I was little and my mom would make it. So this is going on in our kitchen soon!

  3. This creamy chicken with broccoli dish looks amazing. Definitely something that my husband would love, too. Pinned!

  4. Gee I always use red rice, but since I cook it in my rice cooker, I don’t have the instructions. Wonder if the 1 cup rice to 3 cups liquid would work for that, do you know, have you ever used red rice.

    1. Sorry, I’ve never used red rice with this recipe, so I can’t say for sure. However, red rice is more like brown rice than white rice, so I don’t think it would cook in the same time as white in this dish.

  5. Chelsea! Girl, these pictures rock my world! They are incredible! The recipe looks great too – and it was entertaining to read. Keep up the good work! 🙂

      1. Can I make this recipe without the chicken bullion powder. I have chicken broth but no cubes or powder

        1. You can, it will just have less flavor. If you have some poultry seasoning, you can add some of that instead 🙂

  6. The recipe looks great and I’m excited to try it! However, I’m so confused on how this is a one pot meal! Why is everyone celebrating that?
    Broccoli steamed/boiled + 1 pot
    Sauce + 1 pot
    Baking dish + 1 pot/dish
    If I add rice or potatoes as a base + 1 pot
    That’s 3-4 pots in my math, but what do I know? Either way, I love your recipes and will give this one a try.

    1. 5 stars
      “one pot” or “one dish” just means that the entire meal can be served in one pot or dish. Funny… I love a one dish meal, but it often translates to a full dishwasher rack. For this dish, try steaming your broccoli in a medium saucepan, then use that same saucepan to make the sauce. Rinse it out good and make your rice, pasta or potatoes while the casserole bakes.

  7. 5 stars
    Chelsea, you’ve done it again! I made the Chicken Divan with no changes. It was flavorful and delicious. I had been looking for a chicken casserole without the canned soup, to take to friends and events. This will be perfect. You need a TV show.

    1. Awe Jane you always make my day with your kind reviews and comments! Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it 🙂 So happy this chicken divan was a hit! XO

  8. 5 stars
    I have not made or HAD Chicken Divan in YEARS! Haven’t even thought about it… For some reason it popped into my head today while thinking about all the broccoli I had in the refrigerator and the chicken I was defrosting. When I first started looking at recipes I remembered why I don’t make it – canned soup! Was happy to find your recipe and my husband and teenage boys all LOVED IT! Hubby was a bit skeptical but after a few bites said, “This is a keeper!”. I served it over rice but I’m not a big rice fan so I love that it doesn’t include it IN the dish.

    1. Love, love hearing this! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review Kristin! 🙂

    1. I haven’t actually tried that but I would imagine it would swap nicely for the broccoli! Let me know what you think! Thanks for your comment! 🙂

  9. 5 stars
    Do you use Dijon powder or the condiment form in the bottle? I used regular mustard powder last time but I do like Dijon… thank you great recipe

  10. 5 stars
    This is the best chicken divan I’ve ever made! The sauce is delicious. I didn’t put extra cheese on top-just the panko. For me, there was already enough cheese in the sauce. I was out of sour cream so I used plain yogurt. I don’t think either of these changes altered the taste at all.

  11. I don’t have bouillon power but I do have bovril concentrate liquid would I use the same measurement as the powder?

    1. I believe the concentrate is much more concentrated than the powder. I’d start with 1/4th the amount and increase to taste

  12. An amazing recipe. Wonderful. Had to omit sour cream due to dairy🥴. Husband thought it was awesome. Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe. Will be a frequent meal.

  13. “Add the panko and toast” Toast? No mention of toast before this step. Please explain; I want to make this in 2 days. Thanks!

  14. 3 stars
    The recipe didn’t explain that only 1 TBL butter is used for the sauce with the remaining 2 for the breadcrumbs. Sauce was too thick. And it’s just too rich anyway. Will not make again.

    1. It’s not separated. There are 3 tablespoons for the sauce and 2 for the breadcrumbs. The butter is listed out twice

  15. 5 stars
    This is far better than the higher calorie version. The only thing I changed was I added 1/2cup finely diced thick slice bacon. I completely forgot to make noodles or rice to go with it but it was so darn good it didn’t matter.

  16. 5 stars
    Hi Chelsea, I made this tonight for dinner , Loved it! Fabulous cheesy sauce and had everything in my fridge waiting to be put into this delicious meal !

  17. 5 stars
    Most excellent. I was looking for a recipe with sour cream and no soup. Perfect!! It is not out of the oven yet, but nothing could go wrong
    with that sauce on it!! ***** 5 stars!

  18. 5 stars
    This comes out delicious every time! Great for kids and adults. Making it for my 4th time! We’ve tried it with cauliflower and asparagus. It’s always tasty! We’ve also left out the garlic and onion because of allergies and its still good!

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