A Classic Chicken Dish Made Modern
If you ask us, chicken divan conjures the golden age of ladies who lunch, perhaps with a martini or glass of crisp white wine in hand. Why do they call it chicken divan? The original chicken divan recipe has been attributed to the Divan Parisien Restaurant at Chatham Hotel in New York City, where it was created by a chef called Lagasi in the early twentieth century. Lagasi kept his recipe a secret, but apparently the maître d'hôtel of the Divan Parisien leaked some recipe notes and the chicken divan casserole we eat today is a version of the original version that included poached chicken, broccoli, and Mornay sauce (which is béchamel sauce enriched with cheese–yum!). Our recipe calls for shredded chicken, so you can use leftover chicken or follow our tips to make Perfect Poached Chicken breasts.
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How To Make The Best Chicken Divan Recipe
Cook the broccoli. Boil in salted water until bright green, about three minutes.
Prepare the sauce–mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasoning, bouillon, chicken and half of the cheese and stir until everything is combined. Place broccoli in chicken mixture and mix gently until everything is mixed together.
Put everything into the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Make the panko breadcrumbs and butter topping.
Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the heat to 400°F. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.
Serve warm over cooked rice, if using. You can check out our tips for making Brown Rice and White Rice, depending on your preference.
What To Serve With Chicken Divan
Since chicken divan has a rich, creamy sauce we think a crisp salad on the side would be a fresh accompaniment. A crunchy Caesar Salad or a Classic Wedge Salad, would make this entire meal feel like a night at a restaurant. You could keep things basic and delicious with our Simple Butter Lettuce Salad, or add a little extra flavor with an Easy Fennel Salad. A side dish of vegetables would also round out the meal, and a crunchy bowl of Green Beans Almondine sounds just right.
Tools You’ll Need
Mixing bowls, one large and one small
Did Someone Say Chicken Dinner?
We love an easy baked chicken dish for dinner. In fact, we’ve developed quite a collection of delicious easy chicken dinner recipes. Take a look at some of these ideas from our recipe box:
Easy Peasy: Baked Pecan Chicken Tenders
Simple and Bright: Lemon Chicken
Extra Flavorful: Za'atar Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Juicy and Briny: Sheet Pan Chicken Marbella
We Want To See Your Classic Chicken Dinner
Did you make this scrumptious chicken divan recipe? We want to see a picture and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!