This chicken divan is truly divine. What could be more heavenly and cozy than some chicken and broccoli draped in a warm mornay sauce. The ooey gooey sizzling casserole coming out of the oven is sure to raise pangs of hunger in everyone standing or living within the radius of its delectable aroma.
Chicken divan was created at New York’s Divan Parisien restaurant in the 1950s. It is essentially a casserole made with chicken breast, broccoli and mornay sauce. A mornay sauce is a white or bechamel sauce enriched with cheese. Since its first creation, chicken divan has remained one of the most classic American casseroles.
The recipe here is my attempt to revisit this old American classic while adding my own twist to it. I added minced onions to my mornay sauce and instead of parmesan cheese, I used sharp cheddar. This one is a great make-ahead dinner casserole. Prepare the chicken, broccoli and mornay sauce whenever you have the liberty to do so. Assemble them in a baking dish and then refrigerate the casserole until you are ready to bake it. Just give it a little bit more time to bake if you are baking it straight out of the refrigerator. After a long day, it sure is a comfortable feeling to know that dinner is ready and waiting for you in the refrigerator. All it needs to do is see the insides of the oven and it will be up and ready for you — a cozy dinner perfect for cold and wintry days.
Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | Three skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry |
| 1 large bunch broccoli head, trimmed and cut into 2-inch long florets |
| 4 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces |
| 2 tablespoons finely minced onion |
| 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 ⅛ teaspoon pepper |
| 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 2 cups chicken stock |
| ½ cup heavy cream |
| 1 ½ cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Season chicken with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper |
| Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat |
| Add chicken to the hot butter and cook, turning once, until cooked through. Should take 8 to 12 minutes total |
| Let chicken stand for 5 minutes, then cut into slices across each breast |
| Boil water in a medium pot and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook broccoli in the salted water until just tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the water |
| Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan and keep it aside |
| Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat |
| Add the minced onion and cook until the onion is tender |
| Add flour and cook, whisking, to make a roux. Should take about 3 minutes |
| Add hot chicken stock to the roux in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Bring it to a boil whisking constantly |
| Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes |
| Reduce heat to moderately low and add the heavy cream |
| Simmer on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, whisking occasionally |
| Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and about ⅛ teaspoon pepper into the sauce |
| Then mix in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese into the sauce |
| Preheat oven to 375 degree F |
| Butter a shallow baking dish |
| Arrange broccoli evenly in the bottom of the dish |
| Pour half of the sauce over broccoli |
| Arrange chicken over broccoli |
| Pour remaining sauce over chicken |
| Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheddar over chicken and sauce |
| Bake the casserole for 15 minutes |
| Turn oven to broil and then broil the chicken divan until sauce is golden and bubbling, about 1 minute |
| Serve hot with a side of rice or mashed potatoes |
Note: If you want to keep it vegetarian, instead of chicken add more broccoli. Top broccoli with cheese sauce and continue to bake as directed above
If you make this Chicken Divan, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
Inspiration: Make-ahead casseroles
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