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The ultimate chicken and broccoli casserole! Chicken divan with curry is a classic, easy dinner that’s ready for the oven with just 15 minutes of prep time. Pair it with rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, or cornbread for a weeknight supper that the whole family will love!
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If you’re looking for other chicken and broccoli casserole recipes, don’t miss this dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole, a cozy chicken broccoli stuffing casserole, and this chicken and broccoli pot pie with biscuits, too!
How to Make Chicken Divan | 1-Minute Video
Blair, this worked out perfectly and WOW was this delicious! I’ll be lucky if I get any because my husband is going crazy for it.
– Kim
Of all of the casseroles that I make, this easy chicken divan recipe ranks up there as one of my top 5 favorites. It’s just perfect in every way! Easy to prepare, creamy, warm, flavorful, and filling. What more could a busy mom ask for?!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole traditionally prepared with broccoli and Mornay sauce. Mornay sauce is a béchamel sauce with shredded or grated Gruyère cheese added. Modern versions of Chicken Divan (like this one!) often use shortcut ingredients like condensed cream of chicken soup and grated cheddar cheese instead of the traditional Mornay. You can substitute with any combination of two condensed soups. For instance, try cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup.
- A traditional chicken divan recipe from the 1950s includes a dash of curry powder in the sauce. Some folks love the taste, while others definitely do not. You can decide whether or not you add it to your casserole. Similarly, you may also want to add a splash of sherry.
- You’ll need about 6 cups of cooked, shredded or diced chicken. I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for great flavor and quick-prep, but you can also boil your own chicken at home. You’ll need to start with about 3 lbs. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs to equal 6 cups shredded. It’s also great with leftover turkey!
- For a shortcut, purchase the frozen broccoli florets that you can steam in the bag in the microwave. To avoid cutting the broccoli into smaller pieces, I often use two bags (12.6 ounces each) of baby broccoli florets. If you’re using fresh broccoli, you’ll need 8 cups of fresh broccoli florets.
Directions
Chicken Divan gets its name from the Divan Parisien Restaurant in the New York City Chatham Hotel, where the recipe was originally created. In French, the word “divan” means a meeting place or a great hall, but the dish itself is not actually French. It’s sometimes called “chicken divine,” too!
As usual, I’ve taken inspiration from the classic recipe and created my own tasty quick-prep version. This chicken divan may remind you of your childhood, and is sure to be a hit with your kids and grandchildren today! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Prepare the Broccoli. You want the broccoli cooked just until it’s crisp-tender — but not mushy. Drain off any excess liquid. The broccoli will continue to cook in the oven, so you don’t want it too soft when you add it to your dish.
- Assemble the Casserole. Once the ingredients are prepped, whisk together the condensed soup, cheese, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and curry powder in a very large bowl. Stir the broccoli and chicken into the mayo mixture, and then pour everything into a large casserole dish.
- Prepare the Topping. It wouldn’t be a true casserole without a crunchy topping! Simply toss the crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over the dish.
- Bake the Casserole. Bake the chicken divan in a 350°F oven (uncovered) for about 25-30 minutes, so that the cheese can melt, the filling becomes bubbly, and the topping is golden brown.
- Garnish the finished casserole with fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or basil, for a bright, fresh flavor.
What to Serve with Chicken Divan
Chicken divan with rice is a classic combination, but there are many other options as well. Try mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles, or keep it light with cauliflower rice, quinoa, or garlic and Parmesan cauliflower mash. Other good sides include a house salad with candied pecans, sauteed spinach, Southern fried apples, Southern-style green beans, roasted yellow squash, and brown sugar glazed carrots.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Keep it covered with foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes. Wait to add the chips on top until it’s ready to go in the oven.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftover chicken divan will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Reheat: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Hi Blair! I made this recipe and we really liked it, so it’ll be going into my “keeper” file! Thanks again for another great recipe!
– Tess
More Chicken and Broccoli Recipes to Try
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice
55 minutes mins
Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
45 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
55 minutes mins
Chicken Divan with Curry
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 (24 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, cooked just until crisp-tender and roughly chopped if the florets are very large (or about 8 cups of fresh broccoli florets, cooked until crisp-tender)
- 2 (10.5 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise (I use Duke's brand)
- ½ cup milk (I use 2%)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
- ½ cup coarsely crushed Corn Flakes cereal (or sub with Ritz crackers, potato chips, or plain breadcrumbs)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- Optional, for serving: cooked rice; mashed potatoes; buttered noodles; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soup, cheese, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and optional curry powder.
- Stir in chicken and broccoli. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together Corn Flakes and melted butter. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Before assembling the casserole, the broccoli should be crisp-tender (but not too soft). It will continue to cook in the oven. To cook the broccoli, I place the frozen florets in a microwave-safe dish, add about 1-2 tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes. You can also steam or boil the broccoli on the stovetop, if you prefer. If the broccoli florets are very large, you may need to roughly chop them before adding them to your casserole. Otherwise, look for “baby” or “petite” broccoli florets in the frozen section.
- Feeding a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Chicken divan with rice is a classic combination, but there are many other options to serve with the dish as well. Try mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles, or keep it light with cauliflower rice, quinoa, or garlic and Parmesan cauliflower mash. Other good sides include a house salad with candied pecans, Southern fried apples, Southern-style green beans, roasted yellow squash, and brown sugar glazed carrots.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Feeding a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half. Bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
- Sauté onions to add to the casserole, or add onion powder to the creamy sauce.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright acidic touch.
- Swap out the cheddar for another good melting cheese, such as Colby, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Gruyere, or mozzarella.
- Lighten it up a bit with Greek yogurt or sour cream instead of mayo. You might need to add some extra salt or other seasoning to account for some of the missing flavor in the mayonnaise. A dash of Worcestershire sauce would give it a nice salty, umami flavor.
This recipe was originally published in January, 2020. It was updated in June, 2024.
Yum this sounds so good; and easy to make too! Will try it soon and let you know how much we liked it! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks, Tess! I hope you love it!
Blair, is there anything I can sub in for the mayo? Sour cream maybe?
Hi, Kim! Yes, I think the sour cream would work. The sauce will be a bit thinner when it cooks, and the flavor will be different, but it will still give you that creamy sauce.
Blair, this worked out perfectly and WOW was this delicious! I’ll be lucky if I get any because my husband is going crazy for it.
That’s great, Kim! I’m so glad that y’all enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Hi Blair! I made this recipe and we really liked it, so it’ll be going into my “keeper” file! Thanks again for another great recipe! 🙂
That’s awesome, Tess! Thanks so much for letting me know. I’m glad that you enjoyed it as much as we do! 🙂
I only have cream of mushroom soup cans! Do you think this would work?
Hi, Christina! Absolutely! It will have a slightly different taste, but the mushroom soup should still work well. 🙂
Hi, Blair. Looks like another yummy casserole.
I thought I’d send along this barbecue recipe that I believe mother used when she made barbecue chicken which, in our Yankee household in the 1970s and 1980s, meant baked chicken with barbeque chicken! I didn’t encounter ‘real’ barbecued chicken until I moved to Texas. That is I was about 12 and my parents bought the chicken at a charity barbecue for a so-called treat. Understand that I was squemish at that age. I was horrified at my first sight of my half chicken. Still with the skin on, no sauce decently covered it, and worse of all, I was expected to disjoint it myself. It was good chicken but that treat kind of backfired! I remember I kinda picked at it. I’ve come a long way in 50 years!
This sauce came from the same cookbook I referred to yesterday and the recipe was contributed by Lady Bird Johnson (Mrs. Lyndon Johnson) herself! The page is thoroughly spattered which is testimony to how much we enjoyed it! The sauce is super simple calling for 1/4 cup EACH melted butter, vinegar, catsup, lemon juice, and worcestershire. Salt, pepper, hot pepper, and tabasco to taste and it is suggested that onion and garlic are also good in it. The cooking instructions are just to combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Now, there is a penciled note to reduce an ingredient, either the lemon juice or the worcestershire, to 2T. I’m not sure which but my guess would be the lemon juice since the recipe also contains a 1/4 vinegar.
Hope you have fun with this!
Sounds delicious, Marion. Thank you again!!
This recipe sounds great, as so many of your recipes are great, but my problem is how to interpret 6 cups of chicken. could you please put weights instead of cup measure for solids. And here in Australia we don’t get butter in sticks. Again, could I have a weight?
Thanks, Ann from Aus.
Great recipe. I love reading your blog. I always have the ingredients in my pantry and freezer. This was a delicious casserole for our Sunday dinner. Many thanks.
Thank you so much, Connie. That makes me happy to hear!