If you are looking for an easy, healthy meal, look no further than my Mom's simple recipe for Campbell's Chicken Divan with rice. This curried chicken broccoli casserole is packed with juicy chicken breasts, tender veggies, a creamy curry sauce, and crunchy croutons served over fluffy rice. YUM!
My mom’s classic recipe for curried chicken divan is a family favorite that I turn to on a regular basis—it's relatively healthy, super easy, and comforting AF. Better yet, it requires just a handful of ingredients, is a great use for last night’s chicken, takes just minutes to prepare, and is beloved by both children and adults.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken Divan Recipe
- New Life For Leftovers - This curry chicken and broccoli casserole is a great recipe for using up whatever you have on hand. Stale bread or leftover sourdough dinner rolls make excellent homemade croutons, while using rotisserie chicken or leftover poultry makes it even speedier to throw together.
- Family-Friendly - As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of my mom’s chicken broccoli rice casserole. This easy recipe was also one of my mom’s favorites because it relied on ingredients we kept on hand—a serious boon when the nearest grocery store was 20 minutes away.
- Minimal Effort - In total, you’ll only need to spend about 20 minutes of active time in the kitchen. Plus, you’ll cook both the chicken and the broccoli in the same pot and line your sheet pan with parchment, so even cleanup is a snap.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you don't need a ton of ingredients to make curried chicken divan when you have a can of Campbell's! Here's what to grab:
- Bread & Butter - Topping this comforting chicken casserole with homemade croutons adds a delicious crunch. Feel free to sub olive oil for the butter for a heart-healthier option. No bread on hand? You can also use seasoned dry stuffing mix, crushed Ritz crackers, or toasted panko breadcrumbs. (To make the breadcrumbs better, toss them in a frying pan over medium heat with a bit of oil and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
- Cream of Chicken Soup - Using a can of soup means you can get dinner on the table in way less time—a cheat I can get behind when I’m pooped. Some brands use fewer artificial ingredients than Campbell’s, so shop around. You can also feel free to swap in other canned cream soups (like cream of mushroom soup) depending on what you have on hand.
- Mayonnaise - Making chicken divan with mayo makes for a delightfully creamy sauce. Make sure to use a good brand like Hellman’s/Best Foods or Duke’s. You can swap in sour cream or full-fat greek yogurt if you prefer a tangier take.
- Curry Powder - This pre-mixed spice blend has a warm, somewhat sweet flavor profile, making it very kid-friendly.
- Cayenne & Garam Masala - Totally optional, but delicious if you have adventurous eaters or prefer your food to have a bit of kick.
- Bay Leaves, Whole Peppercorns, & Whole Garlic Cloves - While these are optional additions, they’ll make your chicken poaching liquid much more flavorful.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - Lean white meat is the best for shredding. You are welcome to sub in leftover turkey or shredded rotisserie chicken, or use dark meat thighs—just make sure to remove any fat chunks when you chop them.
- Broccoli - I find that it’s generally cheaper to buy whole heads of broccoli instead of bags of fresh broccoli florets, but use whichever fits in your budget! Frozen broccoli florets are also great for cutting back on prep—the ones at Aldi are my favorite because I’ve never encountered any woody pieces like I have with other store brands.
How to Make Curried Chicken Divan With Campbell’s Soup
This curry chicken and broccoli casserole comes together in just a few minutes. Here’s how:
Step 1: Make Croutons. Slice bread into cubes (or tear in bite-sized pieces) and place on a foil or parchment-lined sheet tray. Drizzle and toss with melted butter or olive oil. Bake at 350ºF for 12-18 minutes, tossing midway through. The croutons should be crispy and golden brown when they’re done.
Step 2: Poach Chicken. Bring water to boil with kosher salt and any additional flavorings. Add enough salt for the water to taste like the sea. Add the chicken breasts and reduce heat to simmer. Note: some scummy white stuff will start floating to the surface. You can either a.) opt to skim this off with a spoon, or b.) say "screw it" and leave it alone. Skimming will result in a prettier finished dish, but is not necessary.
Step 3: Make Curry Sauce. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
Step 4: Prep & Cook Broccoli. While the chicken is poaching, prepare the broccoli by cutting it into florets. Cut the stem into bite-sized pieces, removing any tough skin with a vegetable peeler if needed. If the pot is big enough, add broccoli florets to the poaching chicken after 6-8 minutes. (I personally like my veggies a little al dente, so I toss my broccoli in around the 8 minute mark. My husband and in-laws prefer their broccoli a little softer, so I put it in around 6 minutes if I'm cooking for them.) Strain the chicken and broccoli from the broth. Shred or cube chicken breasts.
Step 5: Assemble. In a 9 x 13 (or similarly sized 3-4 quart casserole dish), layer the broccoli, top it with the chicken pieces, and then spread the curry sauce evenly over the top of the chicken.
Step 6: Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, until casserole is heated through. Dish out over rice (optional) and sprinkle with croutons. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Gussied Up Broth - If you want a bit more flavor, add a few bay leaves, garlic cloves, peppercorns, bouillon or wine to the water to infuse the chicken with some extra yummy flavor.
- Add Heat - Love spicy foods like we do? Add a bit of cayenne and garam masala to the mix to heat up the sauce!
- Roasted Veggies - If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, roast the veggies on the same sheet pan as your croutons (after the croutons are done!) to cut back on dishes.
- Use Homemade Sauce - Like many old-school casseroles I grew up with, this particular recipe relies on canned soup for expediency. That said, you can certainly swap in thick homemade cream of chicken soup, or make a bechamel sauce or mornay sauce if you like.
- Keto Chicken Divan - It’s easy to make chicken divan low-carb—simply swap in keto-friendly bread for the croutons and you should be good to go! (FWIW, HERO Bread is delicious—it's just very expensive.) You can also add crunch by making croutons with chopped pork rinds.
- Gluten-Free Divan - You can either opt to omit the croutons on top, or substitute gluten-free bread or store bought gluten-free croutons so you can still get that buttery crunch.
- Turkey Divan - This recipe is a great way to put leftover turkey breast to use!
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with chicken divan? When I was growing up, my mom used to serve it over a bed of fluffy steamed rice to stretch the casserole enough to feed 3 teenagers. If you're looking for something a little more grown up tasting, wild rice is an excellent pairing with this casserole. Brown rice is also a great healthy, high fiber option if wild rice isn't your thing.
Curried chicken broccoli casserole is also delicious with other types of carb-y bases—try it over a bed of buttered egg noodles or creamy Greek yogurt mashed potatoes. If you’re on a low-carb diet, try it with cauliflower rice, garlic roasted cauliflower mash, or Palmini noodles.
Expert Tips
- Reduce Food Waste - If you’re butchering a whole head of broccoli, don't even think about tossing the broccoli stem! It is just as delicious and nutritious as the leafier green bits. Peel off any tough skin with a veggie peeler, then cut it into similar sized pieces as your florets. You can also keep the poaching liquid as a no-waste broth!
- Double Cooked - Is your chicken still a little pink in the center after poaching? Not to worry! You're going to bake the broccoli chicken divan after assembly, so it should easily reach 165F by the time it hits your plate.
- Super Shortcuts - For even faster assembly, use store-bought croutons, pre-cooked poultry, and a microwaveable bag of broccoli florets. For quick serving options, I love microwavable rice packs or microwaveable pasta.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover chicken divan casserole will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, allow the casserole to defrost overnight in the fridge (or use your microwave’s defrosting feature). I recommend warming leftover casserole in an oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes rather than microwaving it, which can render the croutons chewy and soft.
- Make Ahead: Croutons can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Curry chicken divan can be made and assembled (without baking) up to three days in advance. (Don't add the croutons until you're ready to bake.) Wrap well in several layers of plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready, adding a few minutes of bake time as needed to heat all the way through.
- Freezer-Friendly Prep: Unbaked curried chicken casserole can also be frozen for up to 3 months, but wait to add the croutons until you’re ready to bake it. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking.
FAQs
The original chicken divan recipe originated in the early twentieth century at the Divan Parisien Restaurant in the Chatham Hotel in New York City—hence the name. Traditional chicken divan was made with broccoli, chicken, and creamy mornay sauce (which is béchamel sauce with cheese folded in, like from-scratch mac & cheese), then topped with crispy breadcrumbs and extra cheese. My mom’s recipe eschews the mornay in favor of a warming curry-flavored sauce and swaps in chunkier croutons for the breadcrumb and cheese topping.
Sure! As much as I love broccoli, this recipe will work with other types of veggies, too. Heartier veggies like cauliflower or green beans are probably your best bet for poaching, though roasted mushrooms or roasted brussels sprouts could be delicious too!
There are many recipes for low-carb versions of either cream of chicken soup or cheese sauce, though you’d need to make the sauce from scratch. Alternatively, make a yummy sauce using equal parts mayo and greek yogurt or sour cream—I’d recommend adding some poultry seasoning and celery salt for interest, and add more curry powder to taste as needed.
Aside from this curried chicken divan recipe, pre-cooked chicken is great for making creamy chicken salad, add it to bacon broccoli cheddar soup or chicken noodle soup (try using chicken-flavored instant ramen and adding some frozen mixed veggies for a lazy meal), chicken enchiladas, chicken sourdough pizza, chicken nachos, chicken quesadillas, chicken-stuffed jacket potatoes (add cheddar cheese and broccoli!)...the list is nearly endless!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you made this super simple Campbell's Curried Chicken & Broccoli Divan Casserole, please be sure to rate and review it below so I know how it turned out for you. If you want more recipes delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest for pretty pictures of food in your feed. 🙂ed. 🙂
Campbell's Curried Chicken Broccoli Divan
Ingredients
Croutons
- 6-8 slices Bread any type - keto, gluten free, multigrain, sourdough, wheat, white, or dinner rolls. Stale is a okay!
- 4 tablespoon Butter, melted sub olive oil for heart healthier option
Curry Sauce
- 1 10.5 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
- 10.5 oz Mayonnaise
- 1-2 tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne optional
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala optional
Poached Chicken Breast and Broccoli
- Water
- Kosher Salt
- 1-2 Bay Leaves optional
- 1 tablespoon Peppercorns optional
- 5-6 cloves Garlic optional
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts or sub leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken
- 2 crowns Broccoli sub bagged broccoli florets
To Serve
- Cooked White Rice, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Cauliflower Rice optional
Instructions
- Slice bread into cubes and place on parchment or Silpat lined sheet tray. Drizzle and toss with melted butter or olive oil. Bake at 350F for 12-18 minutes, tossing midway through. Croutons should be crispy and golden.6-8 slices Bread, 4 tablespoon Butter, melted
- Mix all sauce ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.1 10.5 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup, 10.5 oz Mayonnaise, 1-2 tablespoon Curry Powder, 1 teaspoon Cayenne, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- Bring water to boil with kosher salt and any additional flavorings. Add enough salt for the water to taste like the sea. Add chicken breasts and reduce heat to simmer.Water, Kosher Salt, 1-2 Bay Leaves, 1 tablespoon Peppercorns, 5-6 cloves Garlic, 3-4 Chicken Breasts
- While chicken is poaching, prepare broccoli by cutting it into florets. Cut stem into bite sized pieces, removing tough skin if needed.If pot is big enough, add broccoli florets after 6-8 minutes. Otherwise, finish poaching chicken (10-12 minutes at a simmer), then remove breasts and add broccoli. Cook broccoli until fork tender, about 8 minutes. Strain and shred or cube chicken breasts.2 crowns Broccoli
- In a 9 x 13 (or multiple smaller casserole dishes), layer broccoli, then chicken and top with curry sauce. Spread the sauce to coat.*You can stop assembly here, covering and refrigerating the casserole for later use.Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until casserole is heated through. Dish out over rice (optional) and sprinkle with croutons. Enjoy!Cooked White Rice, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Cauliflower Rice
Notes
- Leftover chicken divan casserole will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, allow the casserole to defrost overnight in the fridge (or use your microwave’s defrosting feature). I recommend warming leftover casserole in an oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes rather than microwaving it, which can render the croutons chewy and soft.
- Make Ahead: Croutons can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Curry chicken divan can be made and assembled (without baking) up to three days in advance. (Don't add the croutons until you're ready to bake.) Wrap well in several layers of plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready, adding a few minutes of bake time as needed to heat all the way through.
- Freezer-Friendly Prep: Unbaked curried chicken casserole can also be frozen for up to 3 months, but wait to add the croutons until you’re ready to bake it. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking.
- Reduce Food Waste - If you’re butchering a whole head of broccoli, don't even think about tossing the broccoli stem! It is just as delicious and nutritious as the leafier green bits. Peel off any tough skin with a veggie peeler, then cut it into similar sized pieces as your florets.
- Double Cooked - Is your chicken still a little pink in the center after poaching? Not to worry! You're going to bake the broccoli chicken divan after assembly, so it should easily reach 165F by the time it hits your plate.
- Super Shortcuts - For even faster assembly, use store-bought croutons, pre-cooked poultry, and a microwaveable bag of broccoli florets. For quick serving options, I love microwavable rice packs or microwaveable pasta.
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