Today I will share with you this mouthwatering dish called Curry Chicken With Broccoli Casserole .
Chicken and broccoli casserole is a quick, easy dish that can be a weekday dinner or even a holiday meal. This curry chicken with broccoli casserole is nice delicious dish with healthy ingredients and low fat content. It is a good alternative to other heavy dishes like bread, potatoes and pasta dishes.
Curried Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Chicken and broccoli get smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce that has just a touch of curry powder. The whole casserole is topped with Cheddar and breadcrumbs and baked until golden and bubbly.Save Recipe
- Level: Easy
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for buttering the baking dish
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
Two 10 1/2-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 to 3 quart baking dish.
- Steam the broccoli in a large microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water, covered, until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Alternatively, steam it in a saucepan with water over medium-high heat. Drain and set aside.
- Fill a large high-sided skillet with about 1 inch water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cool until just opaque, about 5 minutes. Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
- Stir together the mushroom soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder in a large bowl.
- Arrange the broccoli on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken and then the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle the top with the Cheddar and breadcrumbs.
- Dot the top with the butter. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
EASY CHICKEN DIVAN WITH CURRY (79 CENTS/SERVING)
Freezer-friendly, curried chicken and broccoli casserole has been making people happy at the dinner table for decades. The vintage classic chicken bake has gotten an upgrade, though. No canned soups or packaged mixes in this Chicken Divan with Curry. Just good, real food.
Serve it alongside Oven Baked Rice for a full meal, pack it in serving size dishes for a workweek meal prep, and be sure to tuck an extra pan in the freezer for another night.
So, casseroles get a bad rap. They’re considered dated, unhealthy, unhip.
The reality, though, is that casseroles can be delicious. Many casseroles will strum the chords of nostalgia in your heart and have your mouth watering just at the mere mention of their names.
Chicken Divan with Curry is one of those casseroles.
Though not a true Indian curry, this layered dish of juicy chicken and tender broccoli, luxuriating in a bath of a homemade curried cream sauce is divine. Served over rice alongside a few more veggies it’s not only delicious, but not unhealthful, either.
WHY MAKE THIS
It’s quick and easy. Chicken Divan assembles in about 15 minutes, meaning you can slide it in the oven and go about your merry way until dinnertime.
It’s versatile. This curried chicken and broccoli casserole is very customizable. There are likely so many versions of chicken divan out there because folks have difference preferences.
My sister makes it without mayonnaise because she doesn’t like mayo. My husband prefers it with less sauce. One son prefers it with less cheese.
If you make it into small individual sized casserole dishes, you can customize each person’s dish just how he or she likes.
It’s freezer-friendly. Something this tasty, easy, and crowd-pleasing deserves space in your freezer! Make a double or triple batch so you can enjoy it for weeks to come.
INGREDIENTS
It might look like a largish ingredients list, but trust me, it’s simple and worth the few minutes to measure things out. For a homemade Chicken Divan that’s out of this world, you’ll need:
broccoli – You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets. To save time, you can steam the broccoli ahead of time and quickly assemble the casserole. Cooking extra for dinner the night before is also a great strategy.
cooked chicken – Use cubed or shredded chicken that you’ve cooked in the skillet, oven, or slow cooker. I like to use Instant Pot Poached Chicken, but you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken if that’s what you have. You can even use leftover turkey.
cream of celery soup – The best cream soup for casseroles is the one you make yourself. Make my celery version or up the chicken flavor with Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup. You can also use a simple White Sauce.
mayonnaise – I prefer Best Foods, but use whatever your preferred brand is.
lemon juice – Lemon juice adds some nice tang to the sauce in Chicken Divan. This can be bottled, fresh, or frozen. You can even substitute lime juice if you’re in a pinch.
curry powder – There are many different curry powders available commercially. I prefer Spice Islands and McCormick’s and really do not like Trader Joe’s. Find the one you like and stick with it!
cheddar cheese – The lid on this Chicken Divan is made from tangy cheddar cheese topped with buttered bread crumbs. You can try another type of cheese, but cheddar is the classic.
breadcrumbs – You can use regular or panko, commercial or homemade breadcrumbs. In a pinch, you can use crushed crackers or cornflakes.
butter – You only need two tablespoons, but the butter is essential. Coating the breadcrumbs in some type of oil or fat prevents them from absorbing the sauce and becoming mushy. Buttered breadcrumbs are the perfect topping for this casserole.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
One of the beauties of Chicken Curry Casserole — besides how delicious it tastes — is that it comes together super quickly.
1. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish or single-serve gratin dishes with cooking spray. Spread the broccoli florets in the pan. Layer on the chicken.
2. Whisk together the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Pour this mixture over the chicken and broccoli in the prepared dish.
3. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce layer. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the cheese layer. Bake immediately, cover and refrigerate to bake later, or freeze for longer storage.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
Freezing Chicken Divan is super simple. Making several casseroles at one time and freezing the extras is a great habit to get into as it helps you stretch your time and money investments and gives you a night off cooking at a later date.
Remember that cold food freezes more quickly and has a lower chance of developing ice crystals for freezer burn, so be sure to use chilled ingredients for best taste and texture at serving.
Assemble the casserole, cover, label, and store in the freezer. Voila! Super simple.
If the ingredients are not already cold when you assemble the casserole, place the prepared dish in the refrigerator for several hours before storing in the freezer.
For best taste and texture, it’s usually best to thaw the casserole completely prior to baking. Transfer the frozen dish from the freezer to the refrigerator for safest thawing. A casserole may take 12 to 36 hours to thaw, depending on the temperature in your refrigerator.
FAQS
What is chicken divan?
Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole made with broccoli and Mornay sauce, invented in NYC over 60 years ago. Then the canned soup companies got a hold of it and made it over into all kinds of things, under the guise of “it’s too hard for the average home cook to make her own sauce.”
If you’ve got any vintage church cookbooks on your shelf, chances are there are more than a few versions of Chicken and Broccoli Casserole or Chicken Curry Casserole. Originally the dish was called Chicken Divan.
What kinds of casseroles are there?
There are dozens of casserole recipes out there, ranging from mac and cheese to lasagna, enchiladas to pot pie. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole is a classic with variations including the addition of rice or curry powder.
How do you make a casserole healthy?
A basic casserole includes a sauce, mix-ins (like noodles, rice, or protein), and a topping, such as cheese or buttered breadcrumbs. On every level you have options to make your favorite casserole a little healthier: use whole grains instead of simple carbs, focus on lean proteins instead fattier ones, use less cheese, spray the bread crumb topping with oil instead of dousing it in butter, make your own white sauce instead of buying the canned varieties.
Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole
Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole – a creamy delicious curry dish made with fresh broccoli, chicken, and a crispy cheese topping.
This Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole is an awesome addition to the dinner table! It’s super easy to make and is a delicious, family favorite!
One of the first dishes that my mother-in-law ever made us was this Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole. I had never, ever heard of it and I will be honest was a little put off by the cooked broccoli and the fact that it was a casserole. But because it was my mother-in-law, I had to try it and like it…lol. Well at least try it, right?
With the delicious crispy bread crumbs and cheese, I knew I would at least like that. I took that first bite, expecting mushy broccoli and I got the opposite. The broccoli was cooked but not ever done and the creamy curry filling was a perfect balance with the chicken and crumb topping.
This casserole is my to-go-to dish to take to family and friends when they are in need of a meal. One because it freezes great and two it is so comforting, yet not your traditional casserole.
My son, Madden is by far our pickiest eater and he devours bowl full after bowl full.
So advice to all you married people out there, try your in-law’s dishes, you may just be surprised I know I was. Enjoy this amazing dish from Jeanne’s oven to yours. XOXO San
How do you make Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place all of the broccoli florets at the bottom of the 9×13 pan.
In a mixing bowl combine chopped chicken, mayo, cream of chicken soups, curry powder and granulated garlic.
Stir together until combined.
Spread evenly over broccoli florets.