This Chicken Divan has juicy bites of chicken that are smothered in a simple cream sauce with broccoli and topped with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Make it from scratch or use can of cream of chicken soup!
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, onions, and celery and toss to coat. Sauté for 3 minutes, until chicken is about halfway done, then add the broccoli and 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Cook for 3-5 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.
Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, seasonings, and half of the cheese. Stir to combine.
Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and increase heat to 400 degrees.
Combine the melted butter and Ritz crackers. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to serving.
2 lbs. of chicken is equal to about 4 cups diced or 3 medium chicken breasts.
Cooked chicken may be used in which case sauteing it isn’t necessary. I would still recommend softening the onions/celery for about 5 minutes and the broccoli for about 3-4.
To skip sautéing altogether, feel free to omit the onions and celery and combine uncooked diced chicken, fresh broccoli, and the sauce ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 375, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove cover and proceed with adding the Ritz topping as outlined.
Frozen broccoli may be used, thaw it first and pat it dry. Sauteing it with the chicken is optional as it’s already partially cooked. I recommend if you like very soft broccoli.
½ cup crushed Ritz = about 14 of them or ½ sleeve.