Chicken Divan Casserole
I first tried this dish at my mother-in-law’s house, and it was a total revelation — now it’s one of my all-time favorites! Rich, creamy, and perfect for company, it’s easy to make ahead and pop in the oven while you relax and catch up with friends.
Chicken Divan Casserole
Servings 9 | Prep Time 20 min | Cook Time 45 min
Ingredients
- 4-6 cups cooked long grain rice (I like to cook it in gf chicken broth for added flavor)
- regular or instant 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter or df margarine
- divided 2-3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (thighs have more flavor)
- cubed 3 c (24oz) gf chicken broth
- 1/4 to 1/2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
- 2 lb broccoli crowns, chopped into small florets (you can use 2 containers frozen)
- 1 c Mayonnaise
- 1 c (8oz) sour cream (regular or dairy free)
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 c grated pecorino Romano cheese or shredded cheddar cheese (you can use Daiya instead or Violife vegan versions, if you wish)
- 2 c gf breadcrumbs (homemade or commercial)
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and spoon the rice evenly into the bottom of it. In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter (about a quarter stick).
Sauté the broccoli until bright green and slightly undercooked - about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add another 2 tbsp of butter to the pan, then add the chicken. Brown the chicken over medium high heat, until completely cooked through, about 8 -10 minutes.
Sprinkle the chicken with Better Batter Flour and stir until the chicken is coated. Add the chicken broth and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the chicken broth thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately lower the heat to medium low.
Remove as much chicken as you can, and set aside, while leaving as much sauce as you can in the pan.
Stir. Into the remaining sauce, stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, lemon juice, and grated or shredded cheese. Stir gently until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Layer the cooked broccoli over the rice in the pan, then place the chicken on top.
Pour the sauce over the chicken. Return the saucepan to the heat and melt the last 4 tbsp of butter.
Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until the breadcrumbs brown. Sprinkle this over the chicken/sauce mixture in the pan.
Cook for 30-35 minutes or until golden, hot through, and bubbly.
Serve Immediately.
