Healthy Chicken Divan – Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Have you noticed that I am really getting into a groove here with these comfort food makeovers? Today I made Chicken Divan with broccoli, (a little) sour cream and Parmesan- it’s a healthy version of the comfort food casserole made without canned soup and no mayo! It’s the creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole classic recipe we all love, but it’s made entirely from scratch.

Ingredients For This Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Divan

Before we get into the details of how to make this chicken divan recipe, let’s talk about the specifics of the ingredients. A traditional Chicken Divan casserole is yummy but normally high in calories.

I had to play around with this healthier formula a bit because I wanted to make it without the added calories of mayonnaise, but I wanted it to seem rich and saucy like traditional Chicken Divan. Additionally, sometimes they are made with canned soup or high-fat dairy products, such as melted butter or heavy cream. For this healthier version I use the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless-skinless chicken breast
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry thyme
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 pieces medium crowns Broccoli
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons panko
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Step By Step Instructions To Make This Chicken Casserole

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 2 ½ quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until browned on the outside and just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

If you want to make this recipe with leftover chicken, turkey or rotisserie chicken, you can skip this step.

Step 3: Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook, stirring often until the onion is softened and starting to brown slightly 3 to 4 minutes. Add sherry, increase heat to high and simmer, scraping up any browned bits (or until the sherry is almost completely evaporated), 1 to 3 minutes.

Step 4: Stir in 1 ½ cups broth and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Stir the remaining ½ cup broth and flour in a small bowl to make a slurry. Gradually whisk the slurry into the simmering vegetable mixture. Bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken when it reaches the simmering point.

Step 5: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in 1/3 cup parmesan and sour cream. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juices. If you are making this recipe with leftover roasted turkey or rotisserie chicken, you can stir that in now.

Step 6: Meanwhile, place broccoli and ½ cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a layer of parchment and then a layer of plastic wrap and microwave until the broccoli is bright green, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove the cover, drain broccoli.

Step 7: Add the broccoli to the chicken mixture. Mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Step 8: Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon oil with panko and paprika in a small dish. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake until hot and bubbly and is heated all the way through. The top will be nice and golden. This takes about 15 to 22 minutes.

Expert Tips and FAQs For This Recipe

Using Fresh Broccoli For Chicken Divan

One of the hallmarks of a traditional Chicken Divan recipe, which is typically made with frozen broccoli, is the soft, soaked in gravy texture of the broccoli. But when I was making this version from scratch with FRESH broccoli, the broccoli was coming out crunchy.

After a couple of recipe tests, I ended up finding that if I partially cooked the broccoli it in the microwave first, it could soften ever so slightly. That way it cooked more quickly in the sauce but didn’t get mushy.

Now, it cooks a little more in the oven as the breadcrumb topping browns, and the end result is that classic tender broccoli texture everyone knows and loves about chicken divan. It is now a family favorite and far healthier!

More Healthy Comfort Foods: 

• This Chicken and Rice Casserole is one of my most popular casserole recipes.
• I have been obsessing over these Oven Baked Meatballs with Parmesan this fall. 
• Slow Cooker Beef Chuck with Pasta – one of my all time “near and dear” recipes.
• Healthy 30-Minute Chicken Parmesan– for chicken lovers, this is a much healthier way of enjoying Chicken Parm.
• Healthy Mac and Cheese with Kale, this is a simple stove-top mac and cheese. Super fast for a weeknight.
• Healthy Chicken Paprika Skillet– if you love creamy chicken recipes, you have to make this one! 
• Spicy Caramelized Pasta from The Original Dish- so creamy!!!
• Italian Baked Chicken Meatballs from Modern Proper
• 30 Minute Gnocchi all’Amatriciana from Plays Well With Butter

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

Print