When I need a chicken recipe that can easily feed a hungry group, I pull out my tried and true chicken divan recipe. This dish always gets rave reviews at potlucks or sports parties, after long days of moving or tackling projects. It’s rich and tasty and packs the belly-filling punch you’d expect from a winner chicken dinner.
And — and — it preps in fifteen minutes. Yep. 1-5.
I defy you to find other chicken casserole recipes that cover so many delectable bases! Break out your sturdiest casserole dish: it’s baking time!
There are lots of easy chicken recipes here on my site, chicken and rice casserole, chicken broccoli rice casserole, no peek chicken are just a few!
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What I Love About Chicken Divan Recipe
Chicken divan is more than a quick, hearty crowd-pleaser — it has Parisienne origins! Born of a New York-based hotel chef in the early twentieth century, chicken divan is, at its core, a dish the combines chicken, broccoli, and a creamy sauce.
So when you whip this up, you can tell your guests that you’re serving them a meal of the elite! But I also love that this chicken has:
- A fifteen-minute prep time
- Easy-to-find ingredients
- A perfect of balance of savory and creamy
- WHITE WINE!
Recipe Notes
Want to make sure your chicken divan is as close to the original as possible? Want to serve up an updated version, perhaps something in a creamy chicken and rice angle? I’ve got you covered, friend!
Ingredient Notes
Leftovers: This recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken, so keep those leftovers! I love using leftover rotisserie chicken or even chopped BBQ chicken. If you don’t have leftover chicken handy, you can simply saute up some beforehand.
White wine: I love cooking with wine — mostly because I can use the bottom-shelf, $5 bottles! Since this recipe has so many other tasty ingredients, the flavor of the wine is mellowed out. Don’t feel like you have to use expensive bottles! And if you’re not keen on using wine, you can always replace it with chicken broth.
Cheese, please! This recipe calls for cheddar cheese — but don’t feel limited to that! Feel free to swap out the cheddar for parmesan or Gruyere!
Other add-ins: Two other historical additions to this recipe are mushrooms and water chestnuts. If you’ve never had water chestnuts in a dish, you are missing out — they add a truly unique crunch that will make your casserole pop while bringing many additional nutrients!
Internal temperature: Since the meat is already cooked, you don’t really need to reach a particular temperature for food safety reasons. Aim for 165 degrees for thorough warming (and to account for any stray bacteria)!
Chicken Divan With Rice Storing Tips
This recipe is known for being an army-feeding dish — so you’re likely to have army-sized leftovers! How should you store them? Read on!
Can You Freeze This?
Alas, this is one casserole you probably shouldn’t freeze. Mayonnaise-heavy casseroles like in this recipe technically can be frozen, but as you thaw your casserole to reuse it, the mayonnaise tends to break, which means the eggs, oil, and vinegar in the mayonnaise will separate and leave you with a weird, gloopy sauce.
The taste will still be fine, but the texture may not be pleasant. Freeze at your own discretion!
Make Ahead Tips
This easy recipe can be made up to four days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Once cooked, you can store your chicken for up to four days. After that, the mayonnaise content will start doing unfortunate things to the casserole, and it won’t be safe to eat your luscious Parisienne creation.
Recipe Variations
- Mexican chicken casserole is another favorite in my household. Anything with ooey-gooey Mexican cheese, right? And chicken stuffing casserole is a guaranteed way to bring smiles to your dinner table.
- Is there anything more satisfying than a bowl of steaming chicken and rice soup on a chilly day? If you take the divan base, up the liquid content, and toss in some wild rice, you’ll have the next level dish, creamy chicken and wild rice soup.
- Casseroles like my Campbells chicken and rice are so easy to transfer over to slow-cooking methods. Instant Pot chicken and rice, simply prep this meal as the recipe outlines, only using the Instant Pot. Then plug in your Instant Pot according to its soup setting. Get ready to dig in!
- Do you love tortillas? White chicken enchiladas and sour cream chicken enchiladas are for you to try!
Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped, thawed
- 6 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 (10 ¾ -ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup milk
Topping:
- 2 cups soft bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Drain thawed broccoli in a colander then spread out on a double layer of paper towels to remove all excess moisture.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt, pepper, to taste, wine, and milk until combined.
- Add the broccoli and chicken to the sauce and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Pat the top to even out with a rubber spatula.
- In a small bowl mix together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
- Bake casserole in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until casserole is heated through the center.
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More Chicken Casserole Recipes
Has this Chicken Divan recipe made you realize that your life is sorely lacking on casserole recipes? Don’t worry — I’ve got you covered!
- Chicken Noodle Casserole – easy-to-make oven-baked crowd-pleaser of a meal!
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas – are filled with a cheesy, honey lime chicken filling!
- Mexican Chicken Casserole – is a creamy decadent flavor bomb with a taco twist!
- Chicken Tater Tot Casserole – is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
- Dorito Chicken Casserole – tender rotisserie chicken meets cheesy snack food crunch
Conclusion
Whether you need to fill hungry stomachs after a big game or you want to wow at a potluck, this chicken divan is your best bet. Creamy sauce, rich chicken, that perfect crunch of broccoli and breadcrumbs all come together into the epitome of a perfect casserole.
What event are you taking Chicken Divan to? Let me know in the comments!
I love this recipe, I use asparagus instead of broccoli. I also brown the bread crumbs with parmesan cheese in butter top the creamy mixture, and add more cheese on top. This is a delicious recipe that you can change up lots of ways. I believe it’s also better the next day in fridge ?
I’m so happy you enjoyed this, Sheila! We love it!! Your changes sound delicious!!
What can be substituted for the white wine?
Hi Kenna. Sherry would be nice or, if you’re looking for a non-alcohol substitution, you can use chicken broth. 🙂
Looks fabulous. Can leftovers be frozen?
Hi Rhonda. This isn’t a good candidate for freezing!
Sounds yummy! Couple of questions: should the chicken be cubed or shredded (pic shows cubed but recipe says shredded) and can I use fresh broccoli that’s been steamed? If so how many cups? Thanks!
Hi Tina. This casserole is really not good for freezing!
Thanks, I did read that. But I was wondering whether to use cubed or shredded chicken, and if it’s ok to use fresh broccoli that’s maybe been steamed a little instead of frozen broccoli. 🙂
Hi, Tina. You can use whichever you like. If you prefer fresh broccoli, then use it. It’ll probably take about 20-30 minutes to get it cooked al dente, depending on the method you use.
Which of the ingredients were the “topping ingredients”? I guessed bread crumbs, butter and Italian seasoning.
The casserole was the best Chicken Divan I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing.
BJC
You’re so welcome Brenda! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Yes, those are the topping ingredients <3
The perfect dinner
OMG, my mouth is watering!!! Can’t wait to try this one!
Thank you, Lindsey!
Could I prep this ahead of time and just have in the pan to be cooked the day of? Trying to find ways to make my week easier!
Hi, Tana! You can cook this ahead of time, then put it in the fridge and reheat. Hope this helps. Enjoy! 🙂