Chicken Divan is an easy dinner recipe your family will love. Tender pieces of chicken, fresh broccoli, and a cheesy cream sauce come together in a tasty casserole. If you like to make complete meals that have everything you need, this is a great option!
Why this recipe is so great:
- Complete meal: This flavorful cheesy hot casserole has everything you need for a comforting dinner - protein, green vegetables, and enough carbs to bring it all together.
- Easy to make: Perfect for busy weeknights, especially if you're using leftover chicken. You can even prepare it in the morning and pop it in the oven when you get home in the evening. This is one of those simple dump, stir, and cook casserole recipes.
Ingredients needed:
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Chicken - Either cook chicken or use rotisserie chicken
- Broccoli - This recipe is made with fresh broccoli but you can use frozen, if needed
- Sauce - This is a mixture of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese
- Seasonings - Garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper
- Topping - Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and butter
How to make chicken divan casserole:
Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Combine ingredients: Add all of the ingredients to the casserole dish except some of the grated cheese and topping.
- Mix topping: The crisp topping consists of equal parts panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. This is held together with a bit of melted butter. The topping, along with the remaining grated cheese, is sprinkled on top prior to baking.
- Bake: All you need to do is stick the casserole in the oven and bake until golden brown!
add ingredients to casserole dish combine ingredients combine topping ingredients mix topping cover casserole with topping and cheese bake until golden brown
Recipe tips for perfect results:
- Chicken: You can certainly make your own chicken like I did, but I personally prefer rotisserie chicken. Not only is it already cooked, but I think it has the best flavor! Light or dark meat is based on personal preference.
- Broccoli: To save time, buy pre-cut pre-washed bags of broccoli florets instead of buying a huge stalk that you have to trim. Frozen broccoli can be used, but you may need to increase cooking time to ensure it is heated through and it will have a much softer texture.
- Cheese: I usually prefer to grate my own cheese, but if you're in a hurry, a bag of pre-shredded cheese is a super easy option.
- Add rice! Want to make the meal more filling? You can dump a bag of frozen microwave-rice in with the other casserole ingredients.
How to reheat chicken divan:
- To reheat in the microwave: I typically heat low and slow, meaning 50% power for a longer time, stirring half way though. This will reheat your leftovers without over cooking it.
- To reheat in the oven: If you have the time, reheated leftovers in the oven are usually the best. Just be sure to cover it with foil to retain the moisture. Toaster ovens work great for reheating smaller portions. 350°F for about 15 minutes should do the trick.
Love easy casserole dinner recipes?
- Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Cheesy Ham & Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Cheeseburger Casserole
Chicken Divan
Chicken Divan is an easy dinner recipe your family will love. Tender chicken, fresh broccoli, and a cheesy cream sauce come together in a tasty casserole.
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Hover to scale: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli (fresh, cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken (chopped into small bite sized pieces)
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese (grated and divided, I used a cheddar gruyere blend)
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
Topping:
- 3 tablespoon panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 1 tablespoon butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a 9x9 inch casserole dish, combine all ingredients except for ¼ cup of the shredded cheese and the topping ingredients.
- In small bowl, combine topping ingredients.
- Spread remaining shredded cheese and topping mixture evenly over the contents in the casserole dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and heated through.
Notes
- I like my broccoli fairly tender and not soggy, so I use fresh broccoli and don't pre-cook it. If you prefer soft broccoli, you may steam the fresh or frozen broccoli first before adding to the casserole.
- Rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe, however I poached some chicken breasts in my instant pot by combining with 1 cup of chicken broth and cooking on high pressure for about 12 minutes.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 983mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 75.9mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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This recipe was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!
Lisa J
I used fresh, raw broccoli as directed and the texture in the finished casserole was perfect. I will always prepare using this method in future. I like to spice up my dishes, so in addition to using the spices directed, I included 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/8 tsp cayenne and thinned the sauce with 1/4-1/2 cup white wine. I had leftover, 5 oz of chopped Virginia style ham which I added. The dish was amazing! I have also made the dish without the ham (bacon would also be good), and the more classic chicken and broccoli is outstanding, too. I have used a variety of cheeses and some combination of swiss, asiago or parmesan are my favorites. I like to take to potlucks or dropping off dinner for a family, it's wheat free (not positive about gluten but would be easy to check). When dropping off for a family, I have taken a side dish of scalloped potatoes (from the deli section) for heartier appetites. .
Lisa Smith
I’ve been making chicken divan many years and this is the best i have ever had ! I used rotisserie chicken, followed recipe and it’s perfect
Tim
Someone asked this same question, but if you use a soup like Campbell's Cream of Chicken which requires water, do you use the water, but only add 10.5 oz to the sauce? You mentioned yours did not need water so it must not have been a concentrated soup like Campbell's, right? Thanks!
Char
Really good recipe
Trevor
So you add anything to the Cream Of Chicken soup?
Krissy
Nope. My cream of chicken did not require any added water.
Valentina
Great chicken dinner recipe!
Sarah Skaggs
We love Chicken Divan! This recipe is amazing!
Sara Welch
This was such a lovely and flavorful dinner recipe! Has quickly become a family favorite!
Echo
This dish is amazing I love how easy it is to make! I can't wait to have this yummy chicken divan again.
Eden
Th flavors are so good together! What a wonderful recipe!
Margaret
I make this alot to & sometimes especially around the holidays when I have leftover Turkey I make it with white meat from the leftover Turkey...its sooo good 😁🦃