Chicken Divan

A labeled collage of Chicken Divan.

This Chicken Divan has juicy bites of chicken that are smothered in a simple cream sauce with broccoli and topped with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. This is a quick family dinner that you can serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or over biscuits.

Make it from scratch with my homemade cream of chicken soup recipe!

When it comes to casserole recipes, Chicken Divan has to be right at the top of my favorites list. It’s SO easy to make and can be served with so many different side dishes. It’s make-ahead friendly, and my family just devours it every time. Let’s get into what you need to know about this recipe!

What is Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan is a creamy casserole that’s traditionally made with a simple combination of chicken, broccoli, sour cream or mayo, cream of chicken soup, milk, and simple seasonings:

Chicken: Leftover chicken is great in this recipe, uncooked chicken breast or thighs can also be used.
Broccoli: I love using fresh broccoli, but frozen works as well.,
Cream Sauce: The sauce consists of sour cream (or mayo), cream of chicken soup,milk,cheese, and simple seasonings.
Crunchy Topping: A combination of crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter is a great way to add a golden crunchy topping to this casserole. Panko breadcrumbs and butter can be used as well.

Why Is It Called Chicken Divan

According to Wikipedia, this dish was named after the Divan Parisien Restaurant in NYC’s Chatham Hotel where it was invented and served as a signature dish in the 20th century.

How to Make It (Summary.)

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Sauté diced chicken, onions, and celery in butter for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and olive oil once chicken is halfway done and cook 3-5 more minutes. Remove from heat once chicken is cooked through.
Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasonings, and half of the cheese. Stir to combine and transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove and increase heat to 400 degrees.
Combine the melted butter and Ritz crackers. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Serve over rice, biscuits, or mashed potatoes.

A dutch oven filled with chicken and broccoli with sauce ingredients being added to make Chicken Divan.

Creamy Chicken Divan in a dutch oven and a casserole dish before being baked.

A casserole dish with Chicken Divan before and after being baked.

Pro Tips

Cooked chicken may be used in which case sautéing it isn’t necessary. I would still recommend softening the onions/celery for about 5 minutes and then cooking the broccoli for about 3-4.
To skip sautéing altogether, feel free to omit the onions and celery and combine uncooked diced chicken, fresh broccoli, and the sauce ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 375, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove cover and proceed with adding the Ritz topping as outlined.
Frozen broccoli may be used, thaw it first and pat it dry. Sautéing it with the chicken is optional as it’s already partially cooked. I recommend if you like very soft broccoli.
Mayo can be used instead of sour cream.
This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 196!

Make Ahead Method

This casserole can be prepared and placed in a covered casserole dish in the fridge for up to 2 days prior to baking. Be sure to wait on preparing the topping until ready to serve.
Add an additional 15 minutes of covered baking time if baking from a cold state.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

A white plate filled with creamy Chicken Divan with a fork on the side.

Tools For This Recipe

Dutch Oven – These conduct heat really well. I use mine all the time.
9 x 13 baking dish The perfect size for almost any casserole recipe
Silicone Spatula– Easy for tossing the chicken as it cooks and for stirring in the sauce ingredients.
Measuring spoons I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat.

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