Chicken divan casserole combines tender chicken, rice, cheese, broccoli and a creamy sauce for a classic comfort food dish. This version takes a few short cuts with the prep but not with the flavor so it comes together in no time at all!
Chicken and rice casseroles are always a crowd pleaser no matter who you are feeding.
And this chicken divan casserole is definitely picky eater approved and a really good way to sneak in some veggies.
With a creamy sauce, tender chicken, and so much cheese, you’ll want to dive into this casserole over and over again.
And thanks to a few shortcuts you won’t mind if this ends up on your most requested list!
What is chicken divan?
Chicken divan is a casserole that gets its name from the Divan Parisien Restaurant at Chatham Hotel in New York City, where it originated.
The dish itself has also been largely credited for introducing Americans to the vegetable broccoli.
It was very popular in the 1950s and 60s.
It combines chicken, broccoli, rice, and mornay sauce.
Mornay sauce is a fancy way to say a basic cheese sauce.
Everything gets tossed together and baked to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Rice– I recommend steamed white rice but you could substitute steamed brown rice if you prefer.
- Chicken– Save some time and use chopped rotisserie chicken!
- Cheese– A mix of shredded cheddar and shredded parmesan
- Broccoli– Steamed and roughly chopped broccoli florets
- Minced onion
- Spices– Onion powder, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and yellow ground curry powder
- Cream of mushroom soup– You could also substitute cream of broccoli, cream of onion, cream of chicken, or even cream of cheddar soup.
- Mayonnaise– Real, full fat mayo. DO NOT use Miracle Whip.
- Sour cream– Full fat is best
- Milk– Use whole or 2%
How to Make
This casserole is so easy to make!
To do it, combine the cheeses in a small bowl and set the bowl aside.
Then stir together the soup, mayo, sour cream, milk, half the cheeses, minced onion, onion powder, garlic, and curry powder in a large bowl.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour a 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture into a 9×13″ dish you’ve sprayed liberally with cooking spray and spread the sauce out in a mostly even layer.
Top the layer of sauce with an even layer of rice, followed by broccoli and lastly chopped chicken.
Then cover everything evenly with the sauce.
Bake the casserole at 350° for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly out overtop of the dish and bake another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven, and let the dish rest for 5 minutes.
Serve warm, and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover chicken divan with mayo and curry powder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or a hot oven until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- You can steam the broccoli using whatever method you prefer. Just be careful not to overcook it or it will turn mushy in the casserole during baking.
- Feel free to sub the cream of mushroom soup for a variety of other cream of soups.
- Try to keep the broccoli and chicken similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly in the casserole.
Other Chicken and Rice Casseroles
Chicken divan casserole is a classic dish our family loves.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other chicken and rice casseroles?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Chicken Divan Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups steamed white rice
- 4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets steamed & roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped minced onion
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2-3 tsp yellow ground curry powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cheeses. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl add the soup, mayo, sour cream, milk, half the cheeses, minced onion, onion powder, garlic, and curry powder. Stir everything together to evenly combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Lightly spray a 9x13" baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Pour a 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture into the prepared dish, and spread it out in a mostly even layer.
- Add the steamed white rice to the dish, and spread it out in an even layer. Top with the steamed broccoli, again spreading out in an even layer. Add the chopped chicken, then cover evenly with the sauce.
- Bake the casserole at 350° for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly out overtop of the dish and bake another 8-10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the casserole from the oven, and let the dish rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can steam the broccoli using whatever method you prefer. Just be careful not to overcook it or it will turn mushy in the casserole during baking.
- Feel free to sub the cream of mushroom soup for a variety of other cream of soups.
- Try to keep the broccoli and chicken similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly in the casserole.
Nutrition
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