Chicken Divan is a classic recipe that is getting a few upgrades in this simple to make dinner recipe. Your family will love the delicious flavors in this easy dish.
Chicken Divan is one those recipes that has been around for ages. This cheesy chicken casserole is a classic in church cookbooks. In fact, I found this recipe in my grandmother’s. One of the things I like about it is that, unlike some other chicken divan recipes, it adds curry powder. Honestly, a little shocking given the community my grandmother lived in.
Just a few tweaks set this recipe apart. The curry powder addition to this, along with my homemade cream of chicken soup , will have everyone in your family raving. Finally, you can even make this dinner the night before, making it a total win.
We had this the other night and it was delicious. Thank you for a splendid meal.
How to Make Chicken Divan with Curry
This is a brief overview of how to make this delicious dish. For the full recipe with all of the measurements and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Parboil the broccoli. This pre cooks the broccoli, making them tender and perfect int he final dish. See more on this below.
- Make the creamy sauce. Stir together condensed cream of chicken soup , milk, sour cream, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper.
- Toast breadcrumbs. Melt butter in a skillet, then add breadcrumbs and cook until they are just lightly toasted.
- Put it all together. Layer the casserole with the broccoli on the bottom, then the the chicken, then the sauce. Top with more cheese, toasted breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Parboiling Broccoli
In order to cut down on cooking time of the casserole, we are using cooked chicken and parboiled broccoli. Parboiling a vegetable is simply cooking it in boiled water for a few minutes. This is done in five minutes in this recipe, and can be done while you are making the sauce.
Chicken Divan with Curry
As mentioned above, this chicken divan recipe has curry powder in it. This isn’t a common ingredient found in Chicken Divan, but it adds so much delicious flavor to this chicken casserole. Curry is a mixture of spices, often used in Indian cooking, that usually has turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper in it. I always keep some on hand because it is delicious in so many recipes. Buy a jar for this and then make my Beef Curry next.
Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
If you are looking to make recipes completely from scratch, I highly suggest you acquaint yourself with my Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup . It is made in just 25 minutes on the stovetop , and can be stored in your refrigerator for up to three days.
The thing that I like about this recipe is that you can completely control the ingredients. If you have a gluten intolerance, you can swap the flour for almond flour. If you need to eat low sodium, you can cut the salt, and if you cannot eat dairy, you can replace the butter with vegan butter and the milk with soy milk.
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
Cooking Chicken for Chicken Divan Casserole
We are calling for cooked chicken in this recipe. It helps it to cook faster in the oven, but it is a step that needs to take place before hand. To cook the chicken:
- Start with a pound of raw boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Place it in a large sauce pan and make sure it is covered by water by two inches.
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. (You should still see regular bubbles.)
- Cook for 5 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
Larger breasts will need the full 15 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer for best results.
Alternatively, you can use rotisserie chicken that you buy from the store. Or you can use cooked shredded chicken that you keep in the freezer .
Making Ahead
There is nothing better than coming home from a long day of work, and having dinner already done. This Chicken Divan casserole can be made up to 24 hours in advance and then thrown in the oven when you are ready to eat.
To make this ahead, make the recipe up to the point of putting it in the oven. Cover it in foil and then put it in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, uncover it and put it in the oven. You will need to add 5 to 10 minutes at the end of the baking time. If the breadcrumbs start to brown too much, put the foil back on for the very end of baking.
Storing Leftover Chicken Divan
Leftover Chicken Divan can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. To reheat, take out just the amount that you plan on eating. Heat it for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, while covered.
What to Serve with Chicken Divan
This recipe is great as a meal on it’s own, but if you want to round out your table a little, here are a few ideas.
- Dinner Rolls
- Creamed Corn
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
If you make this chicken divan with curry or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
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Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets about 2 small heads (372 grams)
- 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (298 grams)
- 1/3 cup milk (75.6 grams)
- 1/3 cup sour cream (75.6 grams)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- dash of black pepper
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (28 grams)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces (720 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese freshly grated and divided (169.5 grams)
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place the broccoli in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. 4 cups broccoli florets
- In a bowl whisk together the condensed soup, milk, sour cream, garlic, curry powder, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese . 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash of black pepper, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
- In a skillet, melt the butter, and then add the breadcrumbs. Stir consistently until the breadcrumbs are just lightly toasted. 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pour the cooked broccoli in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the cooked chicken. Pour the soup mixture over that. Top with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and then the prepared breadcrumbs. Add the Parmesan cheese. 3 cups cooked chicken, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Bake for 15 minutes uncovered. Serve warm and enjoy.
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Chicken Divan
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Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets about 2 small heads (372 grams)
- 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (298 grams)
- 1/3 cup milk (75.6 grams)
- 1/3 cup sour cream (75.6 grams)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- dash of black pepper
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (28 grams)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces (720 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese freshly grated and divided (169.5 grams)
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place the broccoli in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. 4 cups broccoli florets
- In a bowl whisk together the condensed soup, milk, sour cream, garlic, curry powder, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese . 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash of black pepper, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
- In a skillet, melt the butter, and then add the breadcrumbs. Stir consistently until the breadcrumbs are just lightly toasted. 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pour the cooked broccoli in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the cooked chicken. Pour the soup mixture over that. Top with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and then the prepared breadcrumbs. Add the Parmesan cheese. 3 cups cooked chicken, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Bake for 15 minutes uncovered. Serve warm and enjoy.
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