A classic casserole dish made with chicken, broccoli and cheddar cheese, this easy Chicken Divan Casserole recipe is both delicious and satisfying. It will sure to become your family's go-to dinner dish!
I have a few recipes that I make for my family all the time. I love making easy weeknight dinners and dishes that I know everyone in my family will eat. They are my go-to's, my dinner winners, my "specialties". Everyone has a few of these kinds of recipes up their sleeves.
This recipe for Chicken Divan is one of my family's go-to dinner choice and is definitely on my top ten dinners to make often. Now, I want to share my amazing chicken recipe with you so that you and your family can also enjoy it as often as we do! Get ready to add another tried and true recipe to your list of weeknight favorites: my easy and the best Chicken Divan!
A LITTLE CHICKEN DIVAN HISTORY
But first, where did chicken divan originate from or how did it get its name?
Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole usually served with broccoli and Mornay sauce and was created by Chef Anthony Lagasi at at the Divan Parisien Restaurant in the New York City Chatham Hotel. It was the restaurant's signature dish in the early twentieth century. The long defunct restaurant and hotel was formerly located at 33 East 48th Street in New York City.
In French, the word divan refers to a meeting place or great hall.
A Parisian chicken dish that made a restaurant famous? Sounds fancy….but the secret is, it is not fancy or hard to make at all!
Chicken Divan is essentially a casserole. It is a big pan of creamy chicken and broccoli that is covered in crunchy breadcrumbs and melted cheese. Sounds pretty amazing, right?! Well, it is! Who doesn't love cheesy chicken?! Even my families most picky eater will devour this dish which is why I love to make it. When I have chicken divan in the oven, everyone is happy and excited for dinner.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN DIVAN
So how do you make such a crowd pleasing meal? Making Chicken Divan is super easy!
It all starts with cooking the broccoli. My recipe uses fresh chopped broccoli florets and I steam them in some boiling water to get them a little soft. While the broccoli is cooking, I mix together cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, onion powder and black pepper.
Cooked chopped chicken and the steamed broccoli are then tossed in the may mix and poured into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
The mix is topped with breadcrumbs and shredded cheese and then baked. Then, all you need to do is wait! Once the breadcrumbs start to turn a golden brown and the cheese has melted, the chicken Divan is ready to eat. Scoop a big slice onto a plate and you can start enjoying the chicken right away while it is still smoking hot.
TIPS FOR MAKING CHICKEN DIVAN
After making this dish a few hundred times, here is what I have discovered:
- If you do not have fresh broccoli, frozen broccoli will work perfectly. You can even steam the broccoli right in the microwave. That is one less pot to wash!
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken in place of regular chopped chicken to get some extra flavor and also give you one less thing to cook.
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs taste great with this casserole while panko breadcrumbs add an extra crunch. Both breadcrumbs work wonderfully!
- Use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken. This will give the casserole a more earthy flavor and also add some tasty mushrooms to the dish.
- Add corn, peas or even steamed, chopped asparagus to the casserole for more veggies. You can really toss in any of your family's favorite vegetables to give the casserole more nutrition and interest.
As you can see, the recipe is flexible and can be customized to suit your families preferences. However, it is also perfect and delicious just as it is written. My family has approved of my chicken divan for years! And that is exactly why I am going to go whip up a tray of this casserole right now. It is the perfect, anytime dinner! I know that you and your family will love it too and it is sure to become one of your go-to meals. So, give the recipe a try today and let me know what you think. When you place the casserole on the table, be sure to mention that it is a big city, restaurant-famous meal…how did you make such a fancy meal so fast?! Enjoy!
MORE DELICIOUS RCIPES TO TRY!
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Pumpkin Ground Beef Casserole
Chicken Marsala on the Lighter Side
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Spinach and Sausage
Shrimp and Veggie Foil Packets
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Easy Chicken Divan
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli, cut into pieces and cooked
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or Panko
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Lightly coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray
- Cut broccoli and add to large pot of boiling water
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly tender
- Drain well
- In a large bowl combine soup, mayonnaise, onion powder and black pepper
- Stir in cooked chicken and broccoli until well combined
- Spread into prepared baking dish
- Sprinkle cheese on top evenly
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and butter, then spread evenly over cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
- Serve immediately
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Msjane90 says
This looks so good and easy to prepare!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Heather says
Chicken divan is one of our family's favorite meals. So yummy !
Marysa says
I have never heard of chicken divan. This sounds interesting, and a lovely dinner idea.
Swathi says
Chicken divan casserole looks delicous perfect casserole dish. i need to try it.
Catalina says
Chicken and broccoli are so perfect together! It's definitely a must try recipe!
Nichole Muczynski says
Beautiful photos! I love a good casserole and saving this one to share with the family! Any way I can sneak in veggies with meat and get the kids to eat them is a win!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
This sounds like both a tasty and easy to make dish. Perfect to throw together over the weekend for an easy family meal.
Lynndee says
I am always on the lookout for new chicken recipes to try. I'm going to save your recipe for later. Looks good!
Kathy says
I've never had this before. It sure does look good. I'm always looking for new recipes with chicken. I'll have to give this a try.
Eileen M Loya says
I love finding recipes that are easy to make, healthy and delicious! I am adding this to our meal plan for next week. I am sure my family will love it.
Nikki Wayne says
I love brocollis! And it makes it look more appetizing!
Tara Pittman says
I need to make this for dinner. My husband would love it for sure.
Elicitfolio says
I made the Chicken Divan for dinner tonight for my family and it was a hit! This is literally the best chicken casserole I’ve ever made! I also brined my chicken for more flavor 👌
Lily says
Wow interesting dish here. I can see this being an easy dish for dinner
Nilakshi says
The dish looks tasty. Have passed this recipe to my best friend! She is going to try it. I will let you know about her views too!
Marie Phillips says
Chicken divan was always a family favorite at my house, but I haven't made it in ages. I am actually thinking I'll make it tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!
Mayuri says
Yum! This looks so delicious. I am going to try out this recipe for thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing!
Maysz says
These looks so delicious recipe perfect serving for dinner I would love to try these recipe save this post!
Kita Bryant says
I have not had chicken divan in a long time. I would love to make a dish of this.
Catalina says
Chicken and broccoli are so good together! Love how creamy is this casserole!
Yudith says
I love casserole, I am sure my family will love this recipe. I could make on this tomorrow. Bookmark your sit!
Tasheena says
I love trying casserole recipes for my family. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Puja Kumari says
This is such a simple but amazing recipe. I love trying different chicken recipes.
Myrah Duque says
Yummy! This Chicken Divan Casserole is perfect for the Keto lifestyle! I would replace the breadcrumbs with pork, Thanks!!
Shoma says
This looks absolutely delicious. I love that it is so easy to make! I will have to get the ingredients and try iy out soon!
Alyssa says
I struggle every single day trying to find something to make for dinner. This one is perfect for tonight. Thank yoU!
Scarlet says
Casserole dishes are such a great comfort food this time of the year when it is cold outside. Thanks for the easy chicken divan casserole recipe! Sounds delish!
April Kitchens says
This a recipe that I would pass to my mom to make for my dad! Beautiful pictures, I'm sure it tastes great too.
Jen says
This sounds delicious! My kids love broccoli so I will definitely be trying this. Thanks for such a simple dinner idea.
Ntensibe Edgar says
Cccchhhiiiccckkkeeeennnnnnn, we go!!!! Looks really great, to me.
Emman Damian says
Easy Chicken Divan Casserole looks so tasty! i bet my family would love this for dinner. So good!
Ruth I says
Wow! i love chicken and cheese recipe's.I'm excited to give this a try. My family will love this dish.
Nikki Wayne says
Omg! This looks so satisfying,yum! Now I know what to serve for Christmas.
Mich Ni says
This post makes me hungry by just looking how delectable it looked like. I must try this recipe for the weekend. Perfect for family gathering. 🙂
Marjie Mare says
I must give this recipe a try before the weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Christine says
I’d love to try this dish! It looks delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Heather says
Our family loves chicken divan! It's always a huge hit for dinner!
Kathy says
This sure does look amazing. I love making casseroles. I really love chicken too, so I'm sure I'll love this. I've been looking for recipes to use up chicken too. I can't wait to try this.
Ben says
Aww yeah. This gets five stars and then some. This looks absolutely amazing!
Romy says
I used to have a dish like this when I was a kid, but lost the recipe! Thanks for posting this 🙂
Fatima D Torres says
I love a good casserole. This chicken dish is perfect for when my mother-in-law visits us. She LOVES chicken recipes.
Beth says
This looks like it will become a family favorite! I love casseroles.
Sarah Bailey says
OK now this looks like it would be delicious and the fact it is easy I may just be able to make it myself, you never know.
Tara @ Mama's Money Diary says
I've never heard of Chicken Divan before, but I love chicken, broccoli & cheese so I'm going to give this a try!
Kimmy says
Oh this looks super yummy!
Chris says
This looks yummy -- I make this but with curry powder instead of onion powder -- didn't know it had a fancy name 🙂
Amber Myers says
I've always enjoyed casseroles. This one looks like a tasty dish. I'll have to give it a try!
Shayla Marie says
Saving and I CANNOT wait to make this! I've had something similar and its outstanding!
Matt Taylor says
This looks absolutely amazing. My mom made something similar growing up, she just called it chicken broccoli casserole, but it was essentially the same as this, and oh so delicious!
Aliceee Traveler says
My partener will love this as he is a big fan of brocolli and chicken. I should make it tomorrow to take it to the job. He'll be surprised!
Melanie williams says
Ooo not heard of this dish before, but it sounds all very nice and I bet it tastes good. Will give this a try thank you x
Erin says
This looks so very delicious, and easy to make! I love casseroles with veggies that I could make on a busy weeknight.
Lisa Joy Thompson says
Chicken Divan is one of my all-time favorite meals. My gram made it, my mom made it, and now I make it for my family! And it's a big hit with everyone!
Sonia Seivwright says
Oh wow, yummy! I have all the ingredients for this dish. I'll try it for dinner.
Bill says
This looks awesome! I love all that cheesy goodness, and the broccoli in there is a great way to get in the veggies so that the kids will eat them.
Cristina Petrini says
When it comes to chicken the more ways there are to cook it the more I love it!
Ryan Escat says
I bet my mom would love this. She loves cooking this type of dishes, vegetables and cheese.
Kileen says
This chicken casserole looks so amazing and so yummy! It does look easy to make and I'm sure I would love it!
Samantha Laycock says
This looks delicious. I have never had it before.
Krystal Miller says
This will make a great weeknight meal for my family.
Melissa Constantinou says
This looks like the perfect fall meal! Yum!
Bri says
Yum! This looks so good! Especially in this chilly weather!
Sarah Miller - Homeschooling 4 Him says
This looks delicious, and easy! I am always looking for casseroles with veggies that I could make on a busy weeknight. This would be perfect!
Sherry says
I don't know why I have never made this before. It's so easy! I am sure my family will love it.
Heather says
This is exactly the type of casserole that my family loves. I'm printing it out to make for them this week!
Tara Pittman says
My husband would love this dish. He is a big fan of chicken and cheese.