Everyone loves this super easy, super cheesy Broccoli Chicken Divan casserole!
This fresh and healthy recipe is a weeknight winner and a potluck crowd-pleaser. This classic dish has been a family favorite for decades and it’s easy to see why. Whether it’s served up with favorite mix ins or toppings like French fried onions or enjoyed according to the exact recipe instructions, Chicken Divan is always divine! And since it’s one of those entrees that “always turns out” there is no need to worry about whether or not guests will enjoy it.
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What is Broccoli Chicken Divan?
- Divan (pronounced “dee-von”) is characterized by a creamy cheese sauce mixed with chicken and broccoli, named for a hotel in NYC. It’s an elegant dish that’s easy to make!
Why We Love It
- Quick and easy, broccoli chicken divan can be ready in less than 30 minutes using pre-cooked or leftover chicken!
- Cook this economical entrée for bigger families! Just add a salad like Red Leaf Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and some No Knead Bread for dipping into the sauce!
- Make it low carb by using crushed pork rinds instead of Panko breadcrumbs. Or simply go without the breadcrumb topping altogether and top with extra cheese.
- Make it vegetarian by replacing the meat by layering in white or long-grain brown rice, egg noodles, or penne pasta.
- Tastes better the next day and is a great lunchtime meal for school or work!
Ingredients and Variations
CHICKEN: Chicken breasts are lower in calories than beef, turkey, or pork, but those proteins can be used instead if desired. And even cooked smoked salmon works well. This is a great recipe for using up leftover meat and veggies!
BROCCOLI: Fresh broccoli gives this dish a burst of colorful crunch! Cauliflower can be used, and some sliced mushrooms and slices of bell peppers add texture and flavor! Frozen broccoli can be used, or even a bag of mixed vegetable medley.
SAUCE: Cream of mushroom soup makes a great base for the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and milk. Canned soup is a real timesaver! Don’t forget the sour cream. Cream of chicken or cream of broccoli soup can be used, too! For an Indian-style casserole stir in a jar of prepared yellow or red curry sauce.
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Divan
The steps for prepping this savory casserole are so simple. Serve it over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, if desired.
- Prep chicken & saute until cooked through. (If using cooked chicken, cut it into evenly sized chunks.)
- Blanch broccoli pieces until tender. Drain & place in casserole dish.
- Mix 1 cup of cheddar cheese with sauce ingredients. Fold in chicken & pour over the top of the broccoli. Sprinkle with remainder of cheddar.
- Prepare breadcrumb topping & cover the casserole. Bake (per recipe below).
In a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker:
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and sauté until cooked through. If using cooked chicken, cut it into small pieces.
- Blanch broccoli pieces in boiling water until tender. Drain and put on the bottom of a Crock Pot.
- Mix 1 cup of cheddar cheese, soup, sour cream, and seasonings. Fold in chicken and pour over the top of the broccoli. Sprinkle on cheese.
- Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours (long enough to heat through.
- Prepare breadcrumb topping and cover the casserole. Cook another 30 minutes.
Leftovers
For best results, store leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave. Freeze cooled portions in quart-sized zipper bags with the date labeled on the outside for up to 4 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as desired.
Other Delicious Chicken Recipes!
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole– dinner in under 1 hour!
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Recipe – hearty and delicious.
- Creamy Lemon Chicken – full of zesty lemon flavor.
- Roasted Chicken and Vegetables – easy one pan dinner!
- Crack Chicken Casserole – chicken, tater tots and creamy ranch sauce!
- Chicken Pot Pie – made with easy premade ingredients!
Broccoli Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts about 2 pounds (or 3 cups cooked chicken), cut into bite size pieces
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil if using raw chicken breasts
- 1 ½-2 pounds broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 10 ½ ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 can (or cream of chicken soup)
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard powder, and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Breadcrumb Topping
- 3 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs or buttery crackers (like Ritz crackers)
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish (or a 3 quart casserole dish).
- If using raw chicken breasts, in a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high. Add the chicken pieces and cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place broccoli in a large pot boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes or just until tender crisp. Drain well and put in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheddar cheese, soup, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. Stir in chicken and spread on top of broccoli in baking or casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over the cheese.
- Bake 20-22 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 does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! Used broccoli, cauliflower and a little mushroom. Tasted delish and hubs says it is award winning. Served over rice. Thank you
I’m so happy to hear that Marilee! You and your hubs are very welcome!
Absolutely love this!! Definitely a family favorite even for my 1 year old! Next time I want to try to add a crust to the top, how do you think that would turn out? What would be the best way to possibly add that?
I’ve never tried it with a crust Erin. I’d think that you could add a crescent roll crust to it. Bake at 375 for about 22-26 minutes, or until golden brown. Cover and bake for about 10 more minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Let us know if you try it!
I’m out of sour cream. Could I substitute Mayo or something?
Hi Hahna, you could use plain yogurt, greek yogurt, or mayonnaise in place of the sour cream in a pinch. It may change the taste slightly, but it’ll still be delicious!
Thanks for sharing the recipes they’re all so helpful 😋.
You’re welcome Bertha!
Awesome dish. It was easy to make and was delicious. Followed the recipe exactly but may have added a little extra cheese and panko on top. My husband said not to lose this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that you love this chicken divan! Extra cheese and panko never hurt anyone, right? 😉
Very easy and delicious!
Happy to hear that you love this chicken divan Pam!
Are you supposed to put 2 cans of soup in the casserole? Can’t wait to try this recip!
Yes Ann, we use 2 cans of soup. Enjoy, it’s one of our favorites!
But the recipe calls for only one can of soup, right? I’m confused….
Yes, it calls for 1 can. We love it extra saucy, so we use 2 cans! Both quantities work in this recipe.
Your recipe calls for 1 can. I’m confused!
Yes, it calls for 1 can. We love it extra saucy, so we use 2 cans! Both quantities work in this recipe.
If you use two cans, do you use 1 cup of milk or just 1/2 cup of milk?
I usually use ½ cup of milk. You could try ½ cup and see if you would like to add a bit more milk to reach the desired consistency. Enjoy Tasha!
The recipe only calls for one can of soup but you said you use two?
Yes, it calls for 1 can. We love it extra saucy, so we use 2 cans! Both quantities work in this recipe.
Can i use frozen broccoli? If so what would the steps be.
Skip the blanching in step 3. Thaw and drain the broccoli and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. Enjoy Juliann!
OMG !! I ADDED BACON BITS TO THIS AND I THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN 🙂
That sounds like the BEST idea Kathy!!
Sounds like a great idea! I just popped to have bacon leftover. Maki g this tonight!
Right Tina? They go so well together!
Thanks thanks again love your recipes ☺️.
Thank you Bertha, that makes me happy to hear that!
If making in the crockpot do you cook the chicken prior to putting in? This may be a dumb question because I know I’m overthinking this lol
Not a dumb question Adrienne! This is covered in the narrative, that you would saute until the chicken is cooked through when making this recipe in the crockpot. Enjoy!
This is my first time making this recipe. I am on a low carb diet so I substituted crushed pork rhind panko crumbs for zero carbs. (For the topping anyway). It came out fantastic. Followed the recipe exactly except for the crumb topping. This will be added to my rotation for sure. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thank you for sharing that tip Daniel. So glad to hear how much you enjoy the chicken divan!
I’m not usually much of a “casserole” style dish – but this was delicious, very flavorful, and quick to put together! I served over some Banza chickpea pasta for added protein and it was a great pair. Will definitely make again!
That sounds like a great combo Samantha! Thank you for sharing.
Tried today and loved it! Easy and great choice for my diabetic husband 😊
So happy to hear that Rhonda!
Love this recipe! It went into my leftovers for Thanksgiving!
So happy to hear Elise! It’s amazing with turkey too!
Any suggestions on how to make sure the chicken stay tender
Hi Vicki, I’ve found the chicken to be tender when making this dish. Cutting it in bite sized pieces helps. You can also cook it a little less before baking if you’d like.
Excellent recipe! I added steamed asparagus and havarti cheese. So delicious and super easy!
Thank you Tillie! I’m so happy to hear that you love this chicken dish. Great additions – I’ll give those a try myself!
Can I use microwave steamed broccoli? If so should I partially cook it and then add it to the dish to cook more?
Yes Jessica, you sure can. I do this often. I’d cook it so it’s a little less cooked than you’d like at the end. Enjoy!
I made this tonight. I under cooked some penne noodle and just mixed everything together. Put the cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Cooked it for 20 minutes. It came out perfect! My daughter asked for seconds.
Sounds perfect Brenda! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and very easy!!
Thank you Sheryl! Glad to hear that you enjoy this chicken so much!
Can we make ahead and freeze and then bake?
Yes Nikki, it’s actually perfect to freeze then bake. Doubling and eating one now and one later is a great idea! Prepare casserole, and instead of baking, wrap tightly and freeze. Take it out of the freezer the night before baking, and pop in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Then bake as directed, until heated through and bubbling. It may take a little extra time if it is really cold out of the fridge. Enjoy the chicken divan, it’s a very popular choice!
Just wondering can we replace sour cream with soup or just omit sour cream or what can I put in instead of sour cream
Hi Linda, while the taste may change slightly, you could try extra soup, or yogurt. Enjoy! It’ll be delicious either way!
This is so, so good!! Made according to recipe and will not change a thing the next time I make it!!
Oh I’m so happy to hear that Dianne! ❤️
Could you put mashed potatoes on bottom of dish then bake as described
I’ve never tried that Judy, but I think it may be better adding the potatoes on top (sort of like Shepherd’s pie). Let us know if you try it, it sure sounds delicious!
Wonderful recipe. Will put this into our favorite recipe file.
So happy to hear how much you love this tasty recipe Lorraine!
Feeding a larger crowd. Added some rice to the side and fresh shaved off corn on the Cobb before the final cheese and breadcrumbs. A couple ears sprinkled. Love this recipe. Thanks. A hit with all.
Cucumber and tomato salad completed the meal. For dessert a Cherry and Strawberry Delight in 9×13 pan. Half side of each.
Again, awesome!
That sounds superb Karen! So happy to hear that the chicken divan is such a hit!
Been looking or this receipe! Made it rears Go! I will make t again Tnx!
You’re welcome Pat! It’s a favorite of ours!
I love this casserole!!
So happy to hear that Deb! It’s a family favorite!
I have made this a few times and super simple and quick for a weeknight supper.
So happy to hear that you love this chicken divan Shauna!
Creamy chicken so good.