Barefoot Contessa Chicken Divan Recipe
This Chicken Divan Recipe from Barefoot Contessa is a time-honored favorite that is simple to prepare and takes only fifteen minutes to be ready to bake in the oven. It’s the perfect addition to a weekday dinner that the whole family will like, whether you serve it with rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, or cornbread.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked diced chicken
- 1 (24-ounces) frozen broccoli florets, cooked until crisp-tender (or 8 cups of fresh broccoli florets, cooked until crisp-tender)
- 2 (10.5 ounces) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise I use Duke’s brand
- ½ cup milk I use 2%
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon curry powder optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup coarsely crushed Corn Flakes cereal or sub with Ritz crackers, potato chips, or plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
To Serve
- cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Whisk together condensed soup, cheese, mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and optional curry powder in a large mixing dish.
- Stir in the chicken and broccoli, then move to the baking dish that has been prepared.
- Stir together corn flakes and melted butter in a small bowl, then sprinkle buttered crumbs on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, uncovered, or until the casserole is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve with your favorite side dish and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- You may make this dish from scratch by cooking your own chicken, or you can use precooked chicken! To save time, I usually buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket or a package of frozen Tyson Grilled and Ready or Perdue Short Cuts that has already been cooked and chopped.
- The broccoli has to be cooked until it is just tender before you put together the dish (but not too soft). The oven temperature will be maintained to ensure continued cooking. I microwave the frozen broccoli florets for 4 minutes on high, covered, after adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to a microwave-safe dish (or until the broccoli is crisp-tender). If you’d rather use a stovetop method, you may steam or boil the broccoli instead. The size of the broccoli florets will determine whether or not you need to coarsely chop them before adding them to your casserole. Baby or miniature florets of broccoli can be found in the frozen food department.
- I’ve added curry powder as a potential addition to the sauce because it is called for in certain classic Chicken Divan recipes. A lot of people really enjoy the flavor, yet others can’t stand it at all. In a similar vein, some sherry in the sauce may be a nice touch.
- To add a burst of flavor and brightness, top the completed dish with fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or basil.
Nutrition
Calories: 609kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 46gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1722mgPotassium: 813mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1334IUVitamin C: 109mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!