My
Shop
Wholesome Yum
Free: Healthy Freezer Meals Recipe Ebook
Get It NowThis post is sponsored by Danish Creamery. All opinions are my own and I only share products I personally love. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this site possible!
This chicken Divan casserole recipe (a.k.a. chicken broccoli Divan) is the ultimate cozy comfort food! With a few simple ingredients and no “cream-of” soups, you can make this healthy chicken broccoli casserole recipe with only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. Best of all, it’s so easy to make ahead!
This easy chicken broccoli casserole contains simple ingredients, and each one makes a huge difference in the taste… which is why I rely on Danish Creamery European Style Butter to build layers of flavor in this dish. Its simple recipe hasn’t changed in over 100 years (just delicious cream with a touch of salt) and it has more butterfat than other brands, which creates the ultimate rich and creamy sauce for this casserole, without a lot of extra ingredients. It’s my favorite butter for a classic chicken Divan recipe!
Learn More About Danish Creamery Butter
(Including stores near you that carry it!)
What Is Chicken Divan?
Chicken Divan is a type of chicken and broccoli casserole with a creamy sauce. It occasionally includes added veggies such as onion or mushrooms.
Many easy chicken Divan recipes use flour or cream of chicken soup to thicken them, but this one simplifies the process with fewer processed ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
- Savory, comforting flavor
- Tender meat and veggies with creamy sauce
- Easy to prep and make ahead
- 10 minutes of hands-on time
- Made with natural ingredients — plus no starches or condensed soups!
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for broccoli cheddar chicken casserole, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
For the casserole:
- Danish Creamery Salted European Style Butter – The only butter I use for this recipe! It helps chicken brown perfectly and adds instant rich flavor.
- Broccoli – I recommend fresh broccoli here, but you could also make chicken Divan with frozen broccoli.
- Chicken Breasts – Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) into bite-size pieces, and we’ll cook them as part of the recipe. But if you want to save time, you can use shredded chicken if you have some pre-made, or use rotisserie chicken.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Get it pre-shredded or shred yourself. Mozzarella cheese would also taste great!
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
For the sauce:
- Danish Creamery Salted European Style Butter – With more butterfat than other brands, it creates a velvety smooth sauce for chicken and broccoli Divan.
- Chicken Bone Broth – Use a pre-made chicken broth to save time, or make homemade bone broth.
- Heavy Cream – Half and half may also work here, but it won’t taste as rich, and the sauce will be more watery.
- Poultry Seasoning – Use a prepared seasoning mix or make homemade poultry seasoning instead.
- Garlic Powder – For an extra kick, you can substitute curry powder!
- Sour Cream – Greek yogurt should also work here, but the nutrition will change slightly.
- Dijon Mustard
How To Make Chicken Divan
This section shows how to make broccoli chicken casserole, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Cook broccoli. Boil broccoli in a large pot of boiling water until crisp tender. Drain and add to a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Cook chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add Danish Creamery European Style Butter to a large skillet on medium heat. Place chicken pieces in the pan and cook in a single layer until browned and fully cooked, flipping once halfway though. Add chicken to the baking dish with broccoli.
- Make sauce. Combine more butter, chicken bone broth, heavy cream, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder in the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until volume is reduced by 1/4. Stir in sour cream and dijon mustard.
- Assemble. Pour sauce over the chicken and broccoli mixture, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake. The casserole is finished when fully heated and cheese has melted. I like to add a little parsley for garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did chicken Divan originate?
Chicken Divan casserole originated in the Divan Parisien Restaurant in New York City. It was the restaurant’s signature dish in the early 20th century.
Is chicken Divan healthy?
Not all chicken divan casseroles are healthy — some can taste quite heavy because they use added starches or processed foods, so take a look at the ingredients list first. This chicken and broccoli divan is definitely healthy, as it uses natural ingredients and no added flour or grains.
Is chicken broccoli casserole keto?
Standard chicken divan recipes are not usually keto because of added starches, thickeners, or rice. However, this recipe creates a naturally keto chicken broccoli casserole if you’re looking for a low carb dinner option.
Can I make this chicken Divan recipe with rice?
If you choose to include rice in chicken Divan, you can add up to 2 cups of cooked white or brown rice to the recipe (either layered or mixed with the other ingredients at assembly time). It would be best to double the sauce to accommodate the rice.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also assemble the full casserole 2-3 days in advance, store in the refrigerator, and bake when you’re ready to serve (allowing a few extra minutes for the dish to warm through).
Can chicken Divan be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze chicken Divan! Cool it completely, wrap, and keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheating instructions:
Thaw chicken broccoli cheese casserole completely in the fridge overnight, then bake at 350 degrees until completely hot and bubbly.
What To Serve With Chicken Divan
This cheesy chicken broccoli casserole is fine to serve on its own, but you can serve it with all kinds of dishes to make it a more complete meal! Try these recipes:
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
If you love cozy casseroles, try these healthy dishes next!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Chicken Zucchini Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Tools To Make This Easy Casserole
- Danish Creamery European Style Butter – Makes the richest sauce (naturally!) thanks to a higher butterfat content.
- Ceramic Baking Dish – Perfect for heating casseroles evenly, plus it looks beautiful straight from the oven to the table.
- Nonstick Skillet – Makes cooking a breeze, for everything from meat to veggies!
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
Chicken Divan: Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
This chicken divan recipe is a healthy chicken broccoli cheese casserole that combines tender meat, veggies, and creamy sauce in one dish, with just 10 minutes prep.
Remove Ads
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Casserole:
Sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
-
Place broccoli florets into a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain and place in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
-
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
-
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and stir into the baking dish with the broccoli. Set aside.
-
In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the remaining 1/4 cup butter, chicken bone broth, heavy cream, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the volume is reduced by 1/4.
-
Remove from heat. Stir in the sour cream and Dijon mustard, until smooth.
-
Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli in the baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
-
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
This helps other readers and also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site.
Related Easy Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Save This Recipe Now© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
33 Comments
Angie
0Easy to make and delicious. Got a thumbs up from my teenager!
Allie
0First wholesum yum recipe ive tried and I am not disappointed. Both my boyfriend and I really liked this. I added cream cheese for fun and the sauce was amazing.
Susan Mc
0SO DELICIOUS! My entire family loves every single WY recipe I have made and this is a favorite.
Brenda
0Thanks for the great recipe Maya! Made this tonight, simmered down the sauce so it was nice and thick, used cream cheese instead of sour cream since that’s what I had. Used a different mustard since I had no dijon. Oh my I just remembered I had no cheddar cheese so I used mozzarella. Served with a green salad on the side. Just delish. Hubby liked it too!
MonaLisa
0I made this for dinner tonight – very filling! After reading input from others, I left out the mustard and added 2 oz of cream cheese toward the end of thickening. We both thought it had a little too much poultry seasoning, but admittedly, I only had 3 cups of broccoli and possibly the dijon mustard may have cut this flavor a bit. Overall, it seemed like a lot of work to prep the broccoli, chicken, and sauce and then combine into a casserole so I probably will cook it all on the stovetop next time.
Irie
0Excellent recipe. Mine was not watery at all. Loved it, very flavorful.
Jessica
0Extremely watery, like soup. Extremely disappointing and soggy.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jessica, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you use fresh or frozen broccoli?
NANCY M HAMMONS
0I’m lactose intolerant, can I use coconut cream instead of heavy cream? The Chicken Broccoli Casserole looks really good.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nancy, I have never done that, but it should work.
Deborah Field
0This was terrific! I used gruyere/Swiss for the cheese and added some herbs de Provence.
Carol
0Hi I love this meal very rich So you don’t feel you a missing out by eating a bland meal.
Rebeccah
0Mine didn’t thicken up and came out very watery. I did everything exactly to the recipe except I used a different European creamy butter because we didn’t have that brand. Did I miss something??
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rebeccah, This recipe is a little runnier than regular chicken divan because there is no starch to thicken up the sauce.
Jenn
0Could I use fried onions (store bought) on the top of this and keep it keto?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jenn, Yes that would be fine.
Alice T
0This is the second time I have made this. The first time I had all the ingredients and it came out delicious. This time I was forced to make substitutes based on what was in my refrigerator. So, I subbed cream cheese for the sour cream (ran out) and used grated Sargento Taco cheese (cheddar was used in omelets today). WOW!!!! I think I liked it better! What a versatile recipe! Thanks!!
Sheri
0This was easy to make and the sauce was delicious. Throughly enjoyed every bite. I have had the best receipes from this site
Judy
0This was an excellent, tasty recipe, although very rich. I used chicken thighs and substituted cream cheese for the heavy cream since I didn’t have any on hand, it was still fabulous. I would definitely make it again, and hubby loved it too.
Beverly Nolan
0Karey, what brand of Curry Powder do you like to use? Thanks. I’m going to make this tonight.
Marilyn Atkins
0Not only KETO, but also VERY EASY to make. I ALWAYS have chicken breasts and look for recipes that are “different” than the usual. As there are only 2 in my family, I scale the recipes down to 4 so that I have enough to freeze for another meal.
Kendra
0If you like the taste of dijon mustard in every single bite and lingering long after you had your meal, then by all means make this receipe. My family did not like it and we ended up going out to eat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kendra, Sorry to hear you didn’t like it! Possibly your dijon mustard was very potent? Mine was pretty mild and we didn’t find it overpowering, but feel free to reduce or omit it next time.
Karey
0My chicken divan I’ve made for decades has curry powder in it, so I also added 1 tsp curry powder. My husband loved this and we didn’t miss the bread crumbs that I normally top mine with!
Katie
0This is something that my mom made for us all the time growing up. I love that this is healthy and not difficult to make!
Deborah Riley
0The Danish Creamery Butter is not sold near me according to the zip code search. What other butter can be used?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Deborah, Sorry to hear that, you can use another salted butter in its place.
Amy
0This is the creamiest and most flavorful sauce! Love that it has veggies in it too!
Kristyn
0What a delicious meal!! This is the only thing my kids won’t pick the broccoli out of!
Natalie
0Love the prep time!! We make a chicken broccoli casserole, but this has more flavor & is super cheesy!
Ashley
0This was SO good! The whole family loves it!
Jessica
0This was absolutely amazing!!! My husband even said, “you nailed it with that one!” Woo hoo! Haha, thank you!
Vivian
0This has become a new family favorite! Such a great dish!