by Holly
Chicken Divan is one of our favorite go-to dinner options, and it couldn’t be more delicious. In this easy divan recipe, Chicken and Broccoli are mixed with a rich and creamy sauce then baked until all warm and bubbly.
This recipe is a classic with one of my favorite flavor combos… chicken, broccoli and cheddar cheese. It is definitely no surprise that this Chicken Divan recipe has been enjoyed by so many families for decades!
Easy Chicken Divan
Chicken Broccoli Divan is a quick and easy casserole, making it the perfect dinner option for busy weeknights. If you use leftover baked chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken, you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes. Served alongside a fresh fresh green salad and some bread with Homemade Garlic Butter, this is one meal your family will request over and over.
What is Chicken Divan?
SAUCE: Chicken Divan gets its signature rich and creamy flavor from a mixture of cheddar cheese, milk, condensed mushroom soup, and sour cream. If you don’t have cream of mushroom soup handy, cream of chicken, cheddar or broccoli also taste amazing in this recipe! Some recipes do make Chicken Divan with mayo, however I prefer to use sour cream.
BROCCOLI: I always steam fresh broccoli for Chicken Divan but you can also add in cauliflower or asparagus (and we sometimes make it with a pinch of curry powder too)!
CHICKEN: The chicken is cooked before it goes into the recipe so if you have leftover chicken (or turkey) it’s perfect in this recipe. If not I usually make and shred poached chicken because it’s SO easy.
TOPPING: The butter and breadcrumb topping on this Chicken Divan casserole really gives it the perfect finishing touch. Just bake until the topping is golden and everything else is hot and bubbly!
How To Make Chicken and Broccoli Divan
I always make Chicken Divan with fresh broccoli, it has the best flavor and doesn’t end up watery or mushy as frozen broccoli sometimes does.
- Steaming your broccoli for a few minutes to get it slightly tender-crisp (it as it’ll cook more in the oven). Drain it very well (to keep your sauce from getting watery)
- Combine the divan sauce ingredients.
- Add chicken and broccoli to a dish, top with the cheesy sauce and buttery breadcrumbs
Bake about 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly! Easy peasy.
I usually enjoy Chicken Divan with rice (or Garlic Butter Rice), but it also tastes amazing served over noodles or even some creamy mashed potatoes!
If you don’t eat the whole casserole (which we usually do around here, it’s SO good), it reheats perfectly. Simply place the Chicken Divan in the microwave, or reheat it in the oven or on the stovetop. Before reheating, I usually add a splash of milk to keep it nice and creamy.
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Spaghetti – Reader favorite recipes!
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole – Delicious twist on a classic.
- Cheesy Chicken Casserole – Creamy, cheesy and delicious.
- Salsa Chicken Casserole – Quick and flavorful
- 4 Ingredient Chicken Rice Casserole – Vintage recipe, no need to precook the rice!
Easy Chicken Divan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup milk
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 10 ½ ounces can condensed Cream of Mushroom or chicken soup
- ½ teaspoon each garlic powder onion powder, dry mustard and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt
Topping
- 3 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place broccoli in a large pot boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes or just until tender crisp. Drain well.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup cheddar cheese, milk, condensed soup, sour cream and seasonings.
- Stir in broccoli and chicken and spread into a 3qt casserole dish (or a 9x13 pan). Top with remaining cheese.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the chicken mixture.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned and the mixture is bubbly and hot.
- Serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, as desired.
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Repin this Creamy Casserole
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Love this tasty, easy casserole. Delicious!!
I am surprised to hear people thought this was bland. It was delicious with a ton of flavor and i even forgot the seasoning salt and did not use any regular salt. Otherwise followed this recipe to a T. I cubed 2 chicken breasts and wish I would have had 3, but I only took 2 out of the freezer so oh well. When I cook chicken I just season however and for this recipe only used garlic salt and honestly could have gone lighter because it was so much flavor. Winner winner chicken dinner. I love your recipes and website! <3
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Kelsey! Thanks for cooking with us ❤️
What is the best way to poach chicken breasts so they don’t become dry or tough? I have good size boneless breasts. This recipe sound awesome. Was hoping to make it for tonight.
We use this poached chicken breast recipe. Enjoy!
This is such a great recipe.Its one of our favorites.and this site has so many great recipes
I modified this recipe. I used fresh broccoli and put it in raw. I also used chicken thighs that had been lightly seasoned and oven baked for 30 minutes at 350. I also used 2 cans of soup instead of one and added 1 cup of sour cream instead. I added a tablespoon of madras curry powder. I also added diced fresh button mushrooms and 1 cup of chopped spring onions.
I don’t like a crumb topping so I skipped that, putting an entire cup of shredded sharp cheddar to top the casserole. Covered with foil and baked at 400 for 30 minutes. I left it covered for another 10 minutes once done. Perfection!
One my family’s favorite recipes and so easy! Nutritious and delicious!
Just to confirm – you use the soup in condensed form, not adding water to it, correct? Thanks!
That is correct, we use it in condensed form!
It was great but missing something, it needed curry powder! To me it was kind of bland and flavorless but the curry powder gave it all the boost it needed
We loved it! This was 8 servings as made per recipe, since we served over rice. I will dinnertime make again!!!
I have made this recipe several times and love it as do the people it is served to. My question is can you make ahead and freeze it it to cook later? Was making for a friend and she asked me to bing in one week???
Hi Judith, I haven’t tried making this recipe ahead of time but I would leave off the topping until you are ready to bake so the bread crumbs don’t get soggy! I would love to hear how it turns out for you.
Worst chicken divan ever! Sauce remained in lumpy precooked form even when bubbly and cooked
Oh no! I am sorry that happened, Cheryl! We have never had that happen with this sauce. To avoid the sauce being lumpy make sure to mix well in step 3, you can even use a whisk if necessary.
This was so easy to make – and worked perfectly. My family loved it!
I’m so glad your family loved this recipe!
i’m so sorry to say this but i’m afraid I agree with the reviewer that said the recipe was bland. Not only was the sauce bland but it was very thin. I drained the broccoli very well & added crisp onions to the topping. Didn’t help. i’m afraid i’ll have to look for a different recipe next time.
Sorry to hear that, Ellen. This recipe is usually a reader favorite. For more flavor, you can add additional spices to taste and try a sharp cheddar cheese as well. Adding crisp onions to the topping sounds delicious though, thanks for the suggestion!
This recipe was exceptionally pleasing to the eye and nose even after baked mine however my pallet was not impressed, I will keep looking.
Sorry to hear that, Keli. This recipe is a reader favorite!