Creamy Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole

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This creamy and cheesy Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole recipe is a delicious and easy make-ahead family dinner! Served with rice, it truly doesn’t get much easier.

This Creamy Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole is comfort food at it’s finest! It’s like Chicken Divan met Chicken Curry and had a cheesy baby :). Browned chunks of tender chicken and broccoli are cooked in a cheesy and creamy curry sauce with onions, garlic, and warm curry flare. Then crispy panko breadcrumbs are added to the top of the casserole to finish off this delicious dinner.

I love to serve this chicken recipe over rice, but you could also serve it with noodles, potatoes, or poured over a huge chunk of crusty bread!

Do you meal plan your dinners?  It makes weeknights so much easier!  Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to Throwback Thursdays to use up leftover chicken.

Jump to:

• Mom’s Midwest Chicken Divan Makeover
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Variations on this Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Divan Curry Casserole FAQs
• Want More Easy Dinner Casseroles?
• Creamy Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole Recipe
• Comments

Mom’s Midwest Chicken Divan Makeover

I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, so we ate lots of hearty meat and potato dishes along with chicken casseroles. And Chicken Broccoli Divan was a favorite casserole recipe in my house.  The original recipe came from a restaurant in New York City and was then popularized in the 50’s with home cooks.  

My Mom’s version was chicken, broccoli, mixed with a can of condensed cream soup and some other ingredients. I loved it!

This version is just as easy, I promise!! But it has a homemade sauce that doesn’t use canned soup. And I have added curry powder for a modern twist because my daughters now love the flavor of curry and I’m running with it! The curry spices give the cream sauce in this casserole so much warmth and depth. I’m sure your family will love this tasty casserole too.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

• Uncooked Long grain White rice – You can substitute with any rice that you have on hand, such as serving this over jasmine rice. You can also sub in quinoa, egg noodles, regular noodles, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
• Fresh Broccoli Florets – Broccoli and chicken are the stars of this show, but you can certainly use cauliflower, zucchini, or carrots as well.  You can cut your own florets of broccoli or to save time, you can find bagged florets all ready to go in the produce section.
• Chicken breasts, boneless skinless – You can replace the raw chicken with precooked, rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken or leftover turkey to save time. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is for cooking the chicken and onions.  You can substitute vegetable oil or cooking spray.
• Onion, diced – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Salted Butter – Butter is used for making the roux in the gravy base. You can also use unsalted butter. You can substitute with another fat, but you do really need a fat to make the smooth thick roux. Substitutes for butter can be Ghee (clarified butter), olive oil, coconut oil, or other butter or oil product.
• All purpose white flour – This is the thickener to mix with the butter/fat.
• Milk – I used 1% milk, but any milk will work, including unsweetened soy, almond, or coconut milk. If you want even creamier, you can add half and half or heavy cream. You can also eliminate the milk and replace it with water or chicken stock.
• Chicken Broth or stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Curry Powder – I used a mild curry powder, but you can use a hot curry powder to spice up this dish.  Curry powder can be found in the spice aisle or in the International foods aisle. Use your favorite brand or blend.
• Shredded gruyere or white cheddar cheese – The cheese adds creaminess and thickness to the sauce, but it’s not absolutely necessary in this recipe. You want a nice melty white cheese like gruyere, white cheddar, monterey jack, or gouda. You can also add in cream cheese for even more cheesiness.
• Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano.
• Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko gives such a nice crunchy topping. You can substitute with regular breadcrumbs, crushed ritz crackers, crushed potato chips, or cheese.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

For this Creamy Broccoli Chicken Curry Casserole recipe, to start, you need a large skillet/frying pan for browning the chicken, then making the sauce. I used my 12″ Ceramic Pan, because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. 

For cooking in the oven, you need a medium to large casserole dish or baking dish that’s approximately 10×10, 10×12, 11×11, or similar. You also need something to cover it while it cooks, such as an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil.

I also used a small-medium pot with lid for the rice and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the Rice.

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the parsley. Set these aside for the sauce. Cut off the broccoli florets and place in the casserole dish.

Cut the raw chicken into 2-3 inch pieces so that you can get a few bites out of each one. After cutting, season the top of the chicken, season it with salt and pepper on all sides.

Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat.  

To the same pan with all of the browned bits still in the pan, add another teaspoon of olive oil, the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook the onions until soft and translucent.

Pour the creamy sauce all over the chicken and the broccoli florets and stir to combine. Cover and cook in a 400 F degree oven for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and sprinkle with panko bread crumbs. Put back in the oven for another 5-8 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve with rice or noodles and enjoy!!

Variations on this Chicken Casserole

This is a great recipe to change up in so many different ways by changing the seasonings the vegetables, the proteins, or the toppings. Here are just a few ideas you can try the next time.

• Divan Classic Recipe (non-curry) – If you want to go with the more traditional flavors, simply eliminate the Curry powder. You can replace with dried oregano or thyme or even Italian seasoning for more herby flavor.
• Mexican – Instead of Curry powder, try adding Taco Seasoning! Then replace the breadcrumbs with crushed tortilla chips. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sour cream for a perfect finish.
• Vegetarian – Replace the chicken with browned Chickpeas and add in more veggies, such as carrots and mushrooms.

Chicken Divan Curry Casserole FAQs

Can I Use Canned Soup Instead Of Making The Sauce?

To save time, you can use cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup or other similar condensed canned soups. To use it, you will use the entire can in its condensed form to replace the flour and milk. You will still need to combine it with a small amount of broth, but reduce the broth from 1 ½ cups to only ½ cup. Add the condensed soup and the broth to the onions in Cooking Step #3.

Can I Make This Chicken Casserole Ahead?

You can make this Chicken casserole ahead, making it great for meal prep! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Reheat it in a microwave safe container and warm it for 1-2 minutes. In the oven, cover it and warm it for 15-20 minutes at 350 F degrees.

Can This Casserole Be Frozen?

You can freeze this cooked chicken broccoli casserole recipe by first cooling it in the refrigerator. Then transfer it to a freezer safe airtight container. You can even freeze it in individual portions. It will keep in the freezer for up to 9 months. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge 24 hours before cooking. Then place in either the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes or in the microwave oven for 5 minutes and then another minute at a time until fully warmed through.

Want More Easy Dinner Casseroles?

If you like this delicious and easy family casserole, then you will love these recipes too!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!