Easy Chicken Divan is a flavorful and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. With no mayo or cream of mushroom soup, this is a 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.
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.
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.
How To Make Chicken Divan
- Preheat Oven: Set to 350°F.
- Prepare Veggies and Protein: Boil broccoli florets for 3 minutes, then drain. Chop rotisserie chicken into cubes.
- 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.
- Assemble: Layer broccoli and chicken in a 9×13-inch dish. Pour sauce over, top with remaining cheese.
- Prepare Topping: Toast panko in melted butter, then sprinkle over casserole.
- Bake: Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot.
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 and swap the rotisserie chicken for chopped Grilled Curry Chicken.
- With Rice: To have rice already added into the casserole dish, try this similar recipe.
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
- Lemon Rice
- Mashed Potatoes or buttered egg noodles.
- Olive Garden Salad
- No-Knead Dinner Rolls
- Costco Kale Salad
Chicken Divan
Easy Chicken Divan is a delicious and cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole that offers a fresh take on the classic, without using mayo or cream of mushroom soup.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Baking pan 9 x 13-inch
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 2/3 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided
- 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Topping
- 3/4 cup panko
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. 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 till thoroughly dry. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces to make 3 cups.
- 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. Add in another 1/3 cup milk, the remaining 1/3 cup stock, and 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-style mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Add the dry broccoli to the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. 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 stir 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.
Recipe Notes
Storage: To store Easy Chicken Divan, cool completely. Cover tightly or place in an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 3 days. For longer storage, portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
“Add the panko and toast” Toast? No mention of toast before this step. Please explain; I want to make this in 2 days. Thanks!
This must be a bogus site . Two rejections !
Not bogus; it just doesn’t publish comments until I approve them and I’m not at my computer 24/7 🙂
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.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I don’t have bouillon power but I do have bovril concentrate liquid would I use the same measurement as the powder?
I believe the concentrate is much more concentrated than the powder. I’d start with 1/4th the amount and increase to taste
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.
I’m so happy to hear this Nancy! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Can I mix this up ahead if time and refrigerate of a few hours and then bake?
Yes! I’d add the panko topping right before baking though.
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
I use the condiment form in the bottle! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed
Love all the suggestions and tips. Yummy!!
Thanks Jane! 🙂
This looks awesome! But my sister doesn’t like broccoli do you think cauliflower could work in this?
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! 🙂
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.
Love, love hearing this! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review Kristin! 🙂