My mom was, and still is, a notoriously bad cook (don’t worry, she’s very self-aware). This was never due to a lack of effort, but due rather to a complete disdain for cooking and doing dishes (relatable). She did not make dinner often when I was a kid, but she was very good at warming up a premade casserole and popping open a bottle of chardonnay (#girlboss!) I was a casserole kid. She was a casserole mom. We were a casserole family. Our recipe of choice was something called King Ranch Casserole. Like most casseroles, this one was packed with mostly chicken and cheese, and sometimes had onions and peppers scattered throughout. But the thing that kept us coming back for more was the tortilla chips. They were crushed on top of the casserole before it baked. Some sank into the mixture and soaked up all of the flavor, getting a little bit soggy in the process. The rest remained on the surface, getting crisp and golden brown. There were many nights spent swapping my hands away when I tried to sneak the crunchy bits off the top.
Chicken Divan reminds me a lot of the King Ranch Casserole days, which is to say it creates some nostalgia for me. It is an easy weeknight recipe sure to make it into your regular dinner rotation any time of the year. It is most often made up of chicken breast, broccoli, and cream of mushroom soup. Most get topped with crispy breadcrumbs or crumbled butter crackers. While the majority of casseroles call for cans of creamy soup as their base, we are going to make our own quick creamy sauce for this recipe (because we deserve nice things!) We will, however, take a shortcut and start with a bag of frozen pre-cut broccoli—for this, I will make an exception. I like to bulk up this chicken dish with plenty of vegetables—in addition to the broccoli, this recipe has sautéed cremini mushrooms and shallots. It all gets tossed together in one pan with a creamy white sauce with plenty of cheddar cheese and sour cream.
When developing this recipe, I harkened back to the good old days of shamelessly helping myself to the entire first layer of the casserole. I wanted crunch. I wanted salt. I found both of these things in the most likely of places—potato chips. I used a ridged potato chip simply because I enjoy snacking on them and think they are supremely underrated, but your favorite chips will taste great crumbled over the top. Try salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, or even jalapeño for a spicy kick.
While your casserole is bubbling away in the oven, you can decide what you want to serve it with. To be honest, it is a full meal on its own, but something starchy like rice or pasta is always great for sopping up the creamy sauce. I usually opt to serve rich dishes like this with a nice big salad, dressed with a simple vinaigrette.
—Riley Wofford
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