Chicken Divan Recipe

This Easy Chicken Divan Recipe is loaded with diced chicken, broccoli. Then mixed in a cream sauce then topped with crushed bread crumbs. This casserole recipe is perfect as a weeknight meal or served with your holiday dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Ready in under an hour. With 20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes in the oven, this is an easy weeknight dinner or a make-ahead dish for a holiday table.
• Pantry-friendly. No sherry, cognac, or specialty cheese required — just canned cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheddar you likely already have on hand.
• Budget-friendly. This casserole costs about $21.59 total, or just $3.60 a serving, so it’s an easy way to feed a family without stretching the grocery budget.
• Great for using up leftovers. Chicken Divan was made for leftover or rotisserie chicken, so it’s a smart way to stretch Sunday’s chicken into another dinner.
• Make-ahead friendly. Assemble it up to 2 days in advance and bake it off when you’re ready — perfect for busy weeknights or holiday cooking.

If you love this signature dish, then you are going to love Broccoli and Rice Casserole Recipe and Crock Pot Chicken and Broccoli. We also love making this Chicken and Dumplings Recipe and Chicken a la King for another easy weeknight meal.

What is Chicken Divan?

Chicken Divan is a classic casserole that is creamy, delicious and full of flavor. It is the perfect casserole to use up leftover chicken. It is often called broccoli divan if no chicken is added.

• Chicken – Cook fresh chicken or dice up leftover cook chicken to mix with the other ingredients.
• Broccoli – We like adding fresh broccoli to this casserole. You can use frozen as well but fresh is what we prefer.
• Cream Sauce – The cream sauce consist of simple ingredients. They include sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and milk. We like to add in some chopped celery and onion for added flavor.
• Easy Seasoning – Simple pantry seasoning gives this casserole so much flavor such as black pepper and kosher salt.
• Crunchy Topping – The crushed bread crumb topping is a must with the melted butter. It makes the topping golden brown.

Where Did Chicken Divan Get Its Name?

Chicken Divan has an interesting history in American cooking. It was created at the Divan Parisien Restaurant inside the Chatham Hotel in New York City in the early twentieth century. The dish became the restaurant’s signature recipe and was later recreated by home cooks across the country. The name Divan comes from a French word associated with a grand reception hall or meeting room.

Today, Chicken Divan is a classic American casserole served at potlucks, church suppers, holiday dinners, and family meals. It is a comforting, budget friendly dish that can feed a crowd while still feeling special.

Ingredients

• Butter – We used unsalted butter so we could control the salt in the dish.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Cut into bite size pieces so they cook quickly and evenly throughout the casserole.
• Yellow Onion – Diced small so it cooks down soft and adds flavor to the base.
• Celery – Diced to match the onion for texture and a little extra savory flavor.
• Broccoli Florets – We like fresh broccoli best, but frozen works too — just thaw and drain it first.
• Cream of Chicken Soup – The base of the creamy sauce. See our Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup if you’d rather skip the canned version.
• Sour Cream – Adds tang and creaminess to the sauce. Mayonnaise can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
• Milk – We like whole milk for the creamiest texture, but any milk you have will work.
• Garlic Powder – See our Garlic Powder Substitute guide if you’re out.
• Pepper – Just a simple pantry seasoning to season the sauce.
• Onion Powder – Adds another layer of savory flavor alongside the fresh onion.
• Mustard Powder – A small amount that adds depth to the sauce without tasting like mustard.
• Cheddar Cheese – Shredded and stirred into the sauce and sprinkled on top for a melty, cheesy finish.

Topping

• Panko Breadcrumbs – Gives the topping its signature crunch. Crushed Ritz crackers also work well.
• Butter – Melted and tossed with the breadcrumbs so the topping turns golden brown in the oven.

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Broccoli – You can use frozen broccoli or fresh broccoli. We used fresh broccoli in this recipe, but use what you have. Feel free to use other type of veggie such as asparagus.
• Cheese – We used cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can use what you have. Colby Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese works great.
• Chicken – Use any type of chicken you prefer. We used chicken breast in this recipe but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
• Seasoning – The seasoning can easily be changed or added. We have added some curry powder for some warm flavor.
• Sour Cream – Mayonnaise can be substituted for the sour cream if that’s what you have on hand.
• Picky Eater Friendly – If your kids are hesitant about visible broccoli, chop the florets extra small before adding them, or pulse the cooked broccoli in a food processor for a few seconds so it blends into the sauce instead of standing out.

How to Make Chicken Divan

Here are the simple instructions to learn how you can make your own chicken divan.

Step 1 – Prepare Oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2 – Cut Chicken – Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl.

Step 3 – Melt butter in a skillet, dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, onions, and celery and toss to coat. 

Step 4 – Sauté for 3 minutes, until the chicken is about halfway done, then add the broccoli. Cook for 3-5 more minutes, until the chicken reaches about 155-160°F on an instant-read thermometer and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove from heat. (The chicken will finish cooking in the oven, so it’s fine if it’s not quite at 165°F yet.)

Step 5 – Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasonings, and half of the cheese. Stir to combine.

Step 6 – Pour the chicken and broccoli mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish. Then top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 7 – Combine the melted butter and panko bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is golden brown. 

Step 8 – Remove and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to serving. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese for extra cheese flavor.

Expert Tips

• Leftover or Rotisserie Chicken – You can use about 3 cups of diced leftover or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breast from raw. If you do, sautéing the chicken isn’t necessary — just cook the onions and celery until soft, about 5 minutes, before adding the broccoli.
• Change Ingredients – Make this an even quicker meal. You can easily make this by mixing the leftover chicken with broccoli and the sauce. No need to cook onions or celery. The casserole will still be delicious even with less ingredients.
• Prepare baking dish – Make sure to prepare pan by greasing it before adding the ingredients. This will help with dish the casserole and for clean up.
• Keep the Sauce Smooth – Stir the sour cream and cream of chicken soup in off the heat, and don’t let the assembled casserole boil hard before it goes in the oven. Sour cream can curdle at high, direct heat, which leaves you with a grainy sauce instead of a silky one.

Serving Suggestions

This Chicken Divan can be served alongside many different dishes. Here are some of our favorites:

• Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes – This recipe is a game changer and makes mashed potatoes so simple. No need for separate pans and boiling potatoes. This easy recipe does not require any boiling or draining.
• Homemade Biscuits – This chicken divan is served perfectly with some homemade biscuits.
• White Rice – Make Instant Pot white rice for an easy side dish. We like to serve this chicken divan on top of the white rice. The chicken, broccoli and sauce makes this dish so delicious.