Chicken Divan… A Fancy Name for a Good Down Home Casserole
If you’re from the South, you grew up with your share of casseroles. Made with cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, is there any other kind of casserole?
Is Chicken Divan a Southern recipe?
When I first tried it I was convinced this was a southern recipe but lo and behold this is traced back to New York City! According good ole Wikipedia ‘divan’ means ‘meeting place’ in french. Well isn’t that sweet!
Ingredients For Chicken Divan Recipe are:
- Chicken
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Mayo (You can use Sour Cream and Milk if you prefer a tangy flavor)
- Lemon Juice
- Broccoli
- Cheddar Cheese
- Butter
- Bread Crumbs or Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs, worth it if you can find ’em)
How to Make Chicken Divan Recipe
- The first thing we do is shred the chicken. If you want an incredibly easy way to shred meat you can find that right HERE
- Mix Cream of Chicken with Mayo (or Sour Cream and Milk) and Lemon juice
- Broccoli layer goes first in the pan.
Soft or Crunchy Broccoli for the Chicken Divan Casserole?
Some people like their broccoli soft and other like a little texture and crunch. If you want the broccoli soft then steaming for 3-5 mins before adding it to the pan. However if you like a little more texture and crunch then just throw those little green beauties in the pan raw.
- Pile that shredded chicken evenly on top of that
- Spread the creamy mixture next over that chicken layer.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and bread crumbs mixed with butter.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes covered
And Voila: Chicken Divan Casserole
I serve mine with brown or cauliflower rice cooked in chicken broth.
It’s a cheesy, yummy meal.
Comfort food at its best.
Here’s the official recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. frozen broccoli spears I used fresh broccoli & steamed it lightly first
- 3 chicken breasts cooked & shredded
- 1 can cream of chicken soup I added a bit of the chicken broth the chicken cooked in to this
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs soaked in 1 T. melted butter (I used Italian breadcrumbs)
Instructions
- Steam broccoli and drain or if you enjoy some crunchy broccoli wash and add raw. Arrange in a baking dish. Place chicken on top. Mix together soup, mayo, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine bread crumbs & butter; sprinkle over chicken. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes covered, 5 minutes uncovered.
If you want to make a homemade Cream of Chicken soup you can find my recipe here.
You may also like these casserole recipes:
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole Cheesy Copycat
Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole – and other Sweet Potato Favorites
Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa
Yum
