Chicken Divan

I'd heard once that every new bride needs to have a good recipe for Chicken Divan.  Is that still true anymore?  No idea but I know that I grew up with a version of this.  My mom called it chicken & broccoli casserole though.  What on earth is "chicken divan" anyway?  Sometimes I just want to call it like it is, like the way I grew up.  Seems simple right?  However if you have any Anti-Casserole people in your life (you know who I mean), sometimes you need to get a little creative in slipping in a few "casseroles" undetected.  I have a couple of semi-anti-casserole types so I this is one where I keep to the original name, even though I still think the name is weird. ;)

Chicken Divan
Recipe adapted from a Campbell Soup cookbook


4 cups FRESH broccoli florets (frozen works too but fresh is really amazing)
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup OR condensed cream of broccoli soup OR condensed broccoli cheese soup
1/3 cup milk OR white wine
1/2 cup (ish) shredded cheddar
2 tbsp Panko bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 450.  Steam the broccoli florets in the microwave for a few minutes, enough to take out that raw crunch but don't turn it into mush  (sorry I don't have an exact time...my microwave has a short-cut button I use for steaming fresh veggies).  If using frozen broccoli, make sure it's thawed.

2.  Layer the chicken and broccoli in a 2-quart casserole dish.

You do not get this gorgeous green from frozen broccoli...just sayin'

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together the soup and milk OR wine until the sauce is smooth.  If you'd like a nice creamy sauce, use milk.  If you like having a little tang to the dish, go with the wine.  Pour over the chicken and broccoli.

Note that you can still see the broccoli and chicken.  No sauce-drowning here!

4.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over the sauce (in situations like these, I don't measure the cheese.  My family likes CHEESE so I just use the measurement as a suggestion or guideline rather than the rule).

5.  Sprinkle Panko bread crumbs on top of cheese and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.  I have for years used a regular bread crumb and butter combination but the Panko just blows that out of the water.  If you like a nice crispy topping, use the Panko.

This is like a hug for your mouth and your tummy.

6.  Bake at 450 for 20  minutes until casserole is hot and bubbly, cheese is melted and the Panko is a lovely golden color.

I'm pretty darn positive that this is cliche of me but I really like to eat this over rice.  There's something about the cheesy, creamy goodness of this over a bed of steaming rice that just screams COMFORT to me.  For a long time I made this dish as written, but the last few times I've been doing different things.  I'm either getting more adventurous in my cooking, or I'm getting tired and just want to use up stuff I already have in the pantry without having to go buy more.  Probably more like the latter but I love how for the most part I hit home with "new" recipes that we like to keep around! :)