Chicken Divan....CASSEROLE

Did she say "casserole"?

Isn't a lasagne really a CASSEROLE? Isn't macaroni & cheese a CASSEROLE?

Anything baked with more than 4 ingredients layered in a baking dish is a casserole, you just didn't realize it because it has a fancy name.

Casseroles are homey, comforting and wonderful (well, not all of them).

They make us feel good and take us back to our youth.
They are great to serve a large group and a good way to use up leftovers, and I think they must have been invented in the 1950's.

Chicken Divan is a chicken & broccoli casserole. It was first created at the Divan Parisien restaurant in New York City. It consists of sliced chicken breast, spears of fresh cooked broccoli, covered with sauce Mornay and baked until the top is golden brown.

I recently had this at a baby shower and I loved it.
I asked the hostess what was in it, and she told me cream of celery soup.

Are you scared yet?

I made it, I ate it, I loved it, and I got over myself.
There, it's out.

This is comfort food at its best.



Chicken Divan:

2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast (I cooked a 3lb. chicken in a pot and shredded the meat, I also got a great pot of chicken soup out of the deal!)

1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets & steamed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
1 can of chicken broth (her recipe called for cream of celery soup, but I just couldn't do it)
2 cups Cheddar cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko for an updated version)
4 tablespoons melted butter



Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Layer cooked broccoli on the bottom, then layer with the chicken.

Whisk mayo, broth and curry powder in a bowl and pour over chicken.

Top with the cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Drizzle the melted butter over the breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350F until bubbly. About 40 minutes.

Let rest 15 minutes before diving into this!



This was definitely a crowd pleaser!