Warm, savory, cheesy Chicken Divan Casserole is a simple, and tasty weeknight meal! This quick main dish can be served as is, chicken casserole rice or with noodles!
A creamy hot dish with a cheesy butter topping will have your kids licking their plates clean! 18 years just seems a little excessive. Raise your hand if you can agree with this? Dinner in our home is the biggest struggle of the entire day. This might seem funny to you, but I promise you, God laughed really hard when he gave me my oldest. Before dinner even makes it to the table, she’s used the word gross, disgusting or I’m not going to eat it at least once. This of course is reserved for new dishes I’m experimenting on my family.
Her favorites though are always sought with praise! 20 minute ordeal to get her to even try a bite of whatever was made for the night. My second born has the exact opposite opinion of her. He likes most things I put on the table and has seconds. All the while my oldest is pouting about having to take a bite of food.
I assure you, the drama of it all gets old fast. And 8 out of 10 times she ends up loving the recipe. However getting her to try that ONE bite is tough. So what is the deal with this easy Chicken Divan Casserole recipe?
Well, for starters, you get your protein and vegetables all in one single dish. If you really want to up your game, you could always turn this into Chicken Divan with rice recipe. Adding rice is a very popular version of this casserole. My children, as will be no surprise, hate rice. Which is why we tend to leave it out. No matter how you make it, this is what we American’s like to call the ultimate comfort food. The basis of a Chicken Divan Casserole is chicken, broccoli and a cream sauce.
However, what you do with those three items is up to you. You can keep it basic or add rice and extra spices to change up the flavor and texture. This casserole was originally invited in the 1950’s by a man named Lagasi when he entered his version into a recipe contest. The recipe was for the invention of a signature dish for the Divan Parisienne Restaurant in the New York Chatham Hotel.
Up until then, no one had even heard of Chicken Broccoli Divan Bake. In the 1960’s this recipe caught the attention of the average home cook who turned this chicken divan recipe into an American classic recipe. Having said that, I had never heard of this recipe until I was well into my 30’s. Some how this classic american recipe of Chicken Divan with Ritz crackers missed my home.