Posted: 05/08/2019

Easy Chicken Divan Recipe

Name: Easy Chicken Divan Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 48 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces; salt and pepper; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 cups instant rice; 2 (10-oz) packages frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped; 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 36 Ritz crackers, crushed to coarse crumbs

Total Time: 48 minutes ★★★★★ 3 Reviews Jump to Recipe

Chicken, broccoli, rice and cheese combine for this comforting classic – this Easy Chicken Divan Recipe is a dinner that the whole family will love.

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Chicken Divan Recipe

Sometimes, you just need to throw it back to an old school comfort casserole. I’m definitely not too good for a good casserole, and this Easy Chicken Divan Recipe has to be up there among those comfort food casseroles that I love. This one definitely wouldn’t be put in the healthy every night category, but this is just pure comfort food, through and through. This casserole recipe is super easy to throw together, so there’s not a ton of time spent prepping. And it’s always gobbled up by the family, which is a huge selling point!

I think that Chicken Divan is one of those dishes that most of us have had – or at least a version of it – at one time or another in our lives. I can tell why, because this Easy Chicken Divan Recipe is a delicious, family friendly meal. This is probably a great way to get your children to eat their veggies! (Even though I’m not claiming it’s a healthy meal overall!!) I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a fan of instant rice, but this is one way that I don’t mind it. Which was great, because it was a great way to get rid of the rest of the box in my pantry!

What Is Chicken Divan?

Chicken Divan is a dish that was originally made in the early 1900s – created in a restaurant in New York City called the Divan Parisienne Restaurant. It was served as their signature dish, a chicken casserole served with broccoli and a mornay sauce.

Today, it is a comforting casserole dish, consisting of chicken, rice and broccoli in a creamy sauce. It is often made with condensed cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise (although this version has neither!)

Ingredients in this Chicken Divan Recipe

Here is what you will need:

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: you’ll cut these into bite-sized pieces.
Salt and Pepper: I always say the seasoning can make or break a dish!
Heavy Cream: yeah, it’s not healthy. But it’s oh, so good. You can try to use half and half instead, but I can’t guarantee what the result would be.
Chicken Broth: I always get low-sodium.
Dijon Mustard: I say don’t skip this because it brings in such a great flavor!
Instant Rice: I’m not usually a lover of instant rice, but it works so perfectly in this recipe!
Frozen Broccoli: Thaw and chop it. If you want to use fresh, you’ll want to boil it or cook it first.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: I like to use sharp because it adds more flavor.
Ritz Crackers: The cracker top is my favorite! Crush these into crumbs for the topping.

How to Make this Chicken Divan

This recipe is super easy!!

Start by putting your chicken in a baking dish. Season it with salt and pepper.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the cream, chicken broth and dijon mustard. Microwave it until it comes to a boil. Alternately, you can do this one the stove top.
Once it boils, add the rice, stir to combine, then pour it over the chicken.
Bake the mixture uncovered for 20 minutes. You are giving the chicken and the rice a head start.
After the 20 minutes, add the broccoli and the cheese to the casserole dish and stir to combine everything.
Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the top.
Return to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Want more comforting chicken casserole recipes?

Chicken and Bacon Pot Pie with Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Frito Casserole
Chicken Tamale Casserole
King Ranch Chicken Casserole from A Spicy Perspective
Cheesy Tortellini and Pesto Chicken Casserole from Mama Loves Food

Tools Used to Make this Chicken Divan

You don’t need much for this recipe – but you do need a casserole dish to bake it in.
I like to use a large, glass measuring cup to make the sauce in the microwave. Just make sure to use a very large one, so that it doesn’t boil over. I love this 8-cup measuring cup.

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