Chicken Divan with Curry is a creamy chicken and broccoli casserole: diced cooked chicken and crisp-tender broccoli folded into a sauce of cream of chicken soup, sharp cheddar, mayonnaise and milk, seasoned with garlic powder and a half teaspoon of curry powder, then topped with buttery crushed Corn Flakes and baked until bubbly. It takes 40 minutes and serves 8.
How to make it: Cook the broccoli until just crisp-tender. Whisk the soup, cheddar, mayonnaise, milk and seasonings in a large bowl, stir in the chicken and broccoli, and spread it in a 13×9 dish. Top with buttered Corn Flakes and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and 165°F in the center.
Why You’ll Love It
- A gentle curry note: just enough to make the creamy sauce taste like more than cheese.
- Uses cooked chicken: rotisserie chicken or leftovers, even turkey.
- Crunchy top: buttered Corn Flakes bake up golden.
- Make-ahead friendly: assemble it a day early and bake when you need it.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: 6 cups, diced. A store-bought rotisserie chicken works, or about 3 pounds of raw boneless breasts or thighs cooked to 165°F and shredded. Leftover turkey works too.
Frozen broccoli florets: one 24-ounce package, or about 8 cups fresh, cooked just until crisp-tender.
The sauce: 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup grated sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup milk.
Seasoning: 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon each of ground black pepper, garlic powder and curry powder.
Topping: 1/2 cup coarsely crushed Corn Flakes cereal tossed with 1 tablespoon melted salted butter. Ritz crackers, potato chips or plain breadcrumbs also work.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked chicken, diced (rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey works)
- 1 package frozen broccoli florets (24 ounces), cooked just until crisp-tender and roughly chopped if the florets are large; or about 8 cups fresh florets cooked until crisp-tender
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 ounces each)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 cup Corn Flakes cereal, coarsely crushed (Ritz crackers, potato chips or plain breadcrumbs also work)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
How to Make Chicken Divan with Curry
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
2. Cook the broccoli. Cook the broccoli just until it is crisp-tender, not mushy, and drain off any excess liquid. Roughly chop any very large florets. The broccoli keeps cooking in the oven.
3. Make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, cheddar, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and curry powder.
4. Add the chicken and broccoli. Stir in the chicken and broccoli, then transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
5. Add the topping. In a small bowl, stir the crushed Corn Flakes with the melted butter and sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly, the topping is golden brown and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Does Chicken Divan Have Curry in It?
Often, yes. The chicken divan recipes of the 1950s included a dash of curry powder in the sauce. Some people love it and some don’t, so it’s your call. Here it’s a half teaspoon: enough to warm up the sauce without turning it into a curry.
How much to use depends on your taste. Recipes range widely:
- 1/2 teaspoon for a subtle background note, as in this recipe.
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, sometimes a mix of mild and hotter curry powders.
- 2 teaspoons for a clear curry flavor in an 8-serving dish.
You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice with the curry to brighten the sauce, anywhere from 1 teaspoon to a couple of tablespoons. A splash of sherry is another optional extra.
What Is the Sauce for Chicken Divan?
Traditionally, chicken divan is baked in a Mornay sauce: a béchamel with Gruyère cheese melted in. The shortcut is condensed cream of chicken soup and cheddar, as here, with mayonnaise and milk to make it creamy enough to coat the broccoli.
You can swap the soup: any two cans of condensed cream soup work, such as cream of celery or cream of mushroom. Or make a from-scratch sauce with butter, flour, chicken broth, milk and cheddar.
About the name: the dish comes from the Divan Parisien Restaurant in New York’s Chatham Hotel, where it was created. “Divan” means a meeting place or great hall in French, but the dish itself isn’t French. You’ll sometimes see it called chicken divine.
Tips
- Don’t overcook the broccoli. Stop at crisp-tender and drain it well; it keeps cooking in the oven, and extra water thins the sauce.
- Chop big florets. Smaller pieces make the casserole easier to scoop.
- Top it last. Add the buttered crumbs right before it goes in the oven so they stay crisp.
- Check the center. Bubbly edges and a golden top are good signs; 165°F in the middle is the test.
Variations
- Sour cream: use sour cream instead of mayonnaise.
- Cheddar cheese soup: use one can cream of chicken and one can cheddar cheese soup.
- Ritz topping: about 20 crushed Ritz crackers with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
- Bread topping: buttered bread pieces with more cheddar on top.
- Turkey divan: use leftover cooked turkey.
- Fresh herbs: finish with parsley, thyme or basil.
Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Assemble it up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add the topping when it’s ready to go into the oven, and bake it straight from the fridge until the center reaches 165°F.
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze it for 3 to 4 months, but mayonnaise and cream sauces don’t freeze well and may separate. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered until it reaches 165°F: a whole dish loosely covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or single portions in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, then check the temperature. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Rice is the usual partner. It’s also good over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. For sides, try spinach salad with warm bacon dressing, smothered green beans with potatoes or roasted asparagus and carrots.
More chicken bakes: chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake and Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does chicken divan have curry powder in it?
Traditional recipes include a dash in the sauce. This one uses 1/2 teaspoon; leave it out or add more to taste.
What is the sauce for chicken divan?
Traditionally a Mornay sauce with Gruyère. Here it’s cream of chicken soup, cheddar, mayonnaise and milk.
What goes best with chicken divan?
Rice, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, with a salad or green vegetable.
Can I use fresh broccoli?
Yes. Use about 8 cups of fresh florets, cooked until crisp-tender.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble it up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate; add the topping just before baking.
Final Notes
Keep the broccoli crisp, the curry gentle and the topping crunchy. If you try it with a squeeze of lemon, tell me in the comments how you liked it.
Chicken Divan with Curry
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Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked chicken diced; rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey works
- 1 package frozen broccoli florets 24 ounces, cooked just until crisp-tender and roughly chopped if the florets are large; or about 8 cups fresh florets cooked until crisp-tender
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces each
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 cup Corn Flakes cereal coarsely crushed; Ritz crackers, potato chips or plain breadcrumbs also work
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Cook the broccoli just until it is crisp-tender, not mushy, and drain off any excess liquid. Roughly chop any very large florets. The broccoli keeps cooking in the oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, cheddar, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and curry powder.
- Stir in the chicken and broccoli, then transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir the crushed Corn Flakes with the melted butter and sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly, the topping is golden brown and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Notes
Nutrition
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