This shortcut chicken divan recipe is a staple of my childhood. Made by my grandma and aunts and sitting on our own dinner table on a regular basis, it’s a beloved family favorite. It was often something I even requested on my birthday and in my adult years I would crave it when I was pregnant! Some not-very-noteworthy pantry staples so common in old-school casseroles like this, cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise are brightened up by zingy fresh lemon and curry powder. The result is a creamy, comforting, cheese-topped casserole that gets served over rice. It’s comfort in a bowl. If you’d like to see step-by-step photos and get my personal tips for this recipe, just keep scrolling past the recipe card!
Easy Chicken Divan
Ingredients
- 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon ground curry powder
- 3-4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice I like lemon so I usually just juice one whole lemon in there
- 1-2 12 oz packages frozen broccoli see note*
- 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine soup, mayo, curry powder and lemon juice and set aside.
- Steam (I just microwave) broccoli until warm and place in a 9x13 pan (or honestly you can just keep it in the fridge so it's room temp or probably even throw it in frozen, I just always defrost it.) Top with chicken and then spread sauce on top. Top with grated cheese.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout. While casserole is cooking, prepare enough white rice to feed your family. Spoon warm casserole over rice.
Notes
- if you like broccoli feel free to use 2 12-oz packages. My kids freak out with too many veggies in there so we just use 1 pack and it works great haha.
- Feel free to swap out broccoli for green beans- I actually love this recipe with canned green beans!
How to Make this super EASY Chicken Divan!
The shortcut sauce for this recipe is made by combining cream of chicken soup, mayo, curry powder and fresh lemon. The curry and lemon go a long way to brightening up the canned ingredients. I recommend using Campbell’s brand soup and a mayonnaise that you actually enjoy eating on sandwiches or any other way. I don’t recommend low fat or otherwise weird mayo. Just go with the good, normal stuff. My preference is to also be fairly heavy-handed with both the lemon and the curry, but try it out and see what you think! The sauce is not cooked ahead of time, just mix the ingredients together.
Step 1: Layer Vegetables in your Baking Dish
You can make this dish with either broccoli, or green beans if you prefer. Broccoli is more classic, but growing up some of my siblings didn’t like it so my Mom always made it with half canned green beans on the bottom and half broccoli! I actually love it with canned green beans because it’s so nostalgic! If using broccoli, just grab one of those frozen bags that steams in the microwave, it’s perfect.
Step 2: Top with cooked chopped chicken
If I’m baking chicken for another recipe during the week, I’ll often just make extra to save for this recipe. A rotisserie chicken would also work great.
Step 3: Layer with Sauce
Just spread your sauce right on top of the veggies and chicken.
Step 4: Top with Grated Cheese
No old-school casserole would be complete without a pile of shredded cheese on top. Just sprinkle it over the top. If you need to prep this dish early in the day it works great to pop in the fridge at this point, or take to a friend for them to bake themselves.
Step 5. Bake Your Chicken Divan and Serve over Rice
Everything it technically cooked so you are baking to heat through until it’s hot and bubble, about 30 minutes. While your casserole is in the oven, make some white rice and then spoon the creamy, cheesy casserole over the top of the hot rice. If you happen to have extra lemons, I love squeezing more on top.
This dish is SO easy to make and incredibly homey and comforting. I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I have over the years!
Questions & Reviews
I was given a similar recipe years ago, but with one–VERY DELICIOUS–addition that you have got to try. In the last five or so minutes of cooking, top with fried onions. You’ll be so glad you did!
Pregnant women take note! My friend’s chicken divan was the only thing I could eat when I was 1st trimester pregnant. Bless her!!
If using fresh broccoli, do you need to precook that?
I personally would zap it in the microwave for a few minutes to soften.
I have made this for years using a Canadian cook book recipe that calls it a different name. I always use fresh broccoli so there is still some crunch and I add a can of small whole button mushrooms. And like you I am often heavy handed with the lemon and curry. This is a favorite! I think its going on this weeks rotation again! (With the addition of the butter bread crumbs too 🙂 )
I make this but without the soup ( msg and gluten sensitive). I do steam the broccoli ( chopped super fine because I have to hid tiny veggies too). in the microwave for a few minutes and drain off water. I pre- cook the seasoned chicken and chop up. Season with seasoning salt, lemon pepper, dried onion, curry, fresh lemon and I use sour cream for a binder with a bit of milk if needed. Mix in cheese, spread in a pan and top with a bit more cheese- bake and serve over rice.
Love this recipe too!!! We put the rice in first on the bottom of the pan and then add all the other layers. Also add 1/2 of a soup can of milk to the soup and mayo mixture to spread all that dreamy creamy sauce throughout. Yum!
I actually had this out to make today from a different recipe. I’ll use yours now. Thanks!!
My mom always topped it with cubes of bread that has been tossed with melted butter. We loved trying to snitch one or two off the top after it came out of the oven. It was 5-6 pieces or bread torn or cut into small pieces and 1/2 melted butter (back then it was margarine). We also just used the broccoli without thawing it.
ooh the bread cubes sound perfect! Also as I was typing this up I wondered why I always cook the broccoli haha. Makes sense to just toss it in there!
agree – I want those bread cubes too! lol
My mom made it with the bread cubes too! Such a favorite dish from my childhood! I would make it in college and remember it seemed so labor intensive. Then I made it for the first time in about a decade the other day and couldn’t believe how incredibly quick and easy it was. Guess I’ve gotten a little more comfortable in the kitchen over the years! 🙂