The original recipe called for frozen broccoli, however a few years back, I started making it with fresh broccoli, which the members of my household prefer. However, that does take a little more preparation time. Both frozen or fresh broccoli need to be cooked before the casserole is assembled, but fresh broccoli has to be washed and cut up into bite-size pieces. I usually just break the florets off the stems while rinsing the broccoli instead of cutting it up.
After I wash it and separate the florets from the stems, I pour melted butter on the broccoli, add a little salt and pepper, then steam it for 8 minutes. If I use less than 4 bunches of broccoli, I would adjust the steam time to 5 or 6 minutes, then taste test the broccoli before adding it to the casserole dish.
I boil the chicken breasts in a large pot (5qt dutch oven) of water for 1 hr. After it cools, I remove/discard the bones and skin. Then I shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
*If you use fresh broccoli, you need 1 stick of butter to melt & pour over the broccoli before steaming
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| I used 4 bunches of Broccoli Crowns in the casserole shown |
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
aka Chicken Divan Recipe
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Ready In | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hr 30 min. | 35 min. | 2 hrs | 6 - 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 Chicken Breasts (cooked – deboned -- shredded)
- 3 or 4 Bunches of Fresh Broccoli OR 20 oz. Frozen Chopped Broccoli (2 Boxes)
- 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (we prefer the Sargento brand)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
-
Cook Chicken Breasts (see boiling chicken directions above)
-
Steam Broccoli (see steaming directions and time above)
- Line the bottom of the casserole dish with steamed broccoli
- Cover the broccoli with cooked & shredded chicken
- In a separate bowl, Mix chicken soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice & 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese together
- Spread the soup/mayonnaise/cheese mixture over the chicken
- Cover with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
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| You won't be able to see the chicken and broccoli once the soup mixture is spread across the entire top of casserole, but I wanted you to see how densely packed each layer should be. |
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| Ready to Bake |
Bake on 350° (325 convection oven) for 35 minutes
Baked and Ready to Serve
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Chicken Broccoli Casserole aka Chicken Divan Recipe Review Written by:
© 2024 Cynthia Sylvestermouse
