That is a straightforward casserole filled with savory hen, creamy sauce, completely cooked broccoli, and essentially the most superb butter cracker topping so as to add an ideal contact of texture. You’ll end up coming again to this one many times for an ideal weeknight choice! We love casseroles as a result of they don’t seem to be solely straightforward to throw collectively but additionally as a result of they’re so scrumptious! This traditional hen divan has broccoli, hen, and a creamy made-from-scratch sauce with actual substances like cheddar cheese, bitter cream, and a touch of mustard. It’s a tasty improve from the standard!
For extra casserole concepts, attempt our Hen Cordon Bleu Casserole or our Tasty Taco Casserole.
Why Our Recipe
- Our recipe makes use of a sauce created from scratch relatively than canned soup.
- You possibly can’t go unsuitable with that buttery Ritz cracker topping!
- This casserole may be made forward of time and saved till able to bake, making for an ideal meal prep choice.
Casseroles are the epitome of ease and comfort, and this one isn’t any exception! Prep time just isn’t lengthy, and the meeting will take you mere minutes. If you wish to make this forward of time, it’s tremendous straightforward to prep forward of time after which refrigerate or freeze till you’re able to bake it!
Ingredient Notes
- Hen: Rotisserie hen is a superb time-saver right here, however any leftover cooked hen will work. You’ll want about 2 kilos or roughly 4 cups of hen.
- Frozen Broccoli: No have to thaw these beforehand – they’ll cook dinner completely within the oven. Should you want recent broccoli, you possibly can substitute it, however steam the florets for 7 minutes to melt them earlier than layering.
- Stuffing: We don’t advocate any particular model of stuffing, so be happy to get whichever model is your loved ones’s favourite.
- Bitter Cream: Should you want a substitute, Greek yogurt works effectively in equal quantities.
- Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar is right for this recipe, however a light cheddar or different cheeses like Gruyère or Monterey Jack work too.
- Ritz Crackers: We advocate utilizing Ritz crackers for the casserole’s topping, however it’s also possible to use a normal breadcrumb topping as a substitute when you want!
- Mayonnaise: Should you’re not a fan of mayo, you should use an equal quantity of plain Greek yogurt or much more bitter cream.
- Lemon: For this recipe, you have to the juice from two medium-sized lemons. Should you don’t have lemons, it’s also possible to use bottled lemon juice in a pinch, however we advocate freshly squeezed when you can to essentially get that tangy, citrus taste.
Making the Sauce
Top-of-the-line components of this casserole is the sauce, which is completely creamy with a slight tang from the lemon juice and bitter cream. Many different casseroles use cans of creamed soup to make the sauce, however taking the additional step to make your individual sauce will make such an enormous distinction that you just’ll by no means need to use premade sauces once more! The sauce isn’t difficult to make, and all it takes is a few stirring and warming on the range. That’s it!
Make Forward Choice
This meal is a superb choice if you wish to meal prep for a busy day in a while within the week. You can also make this casserole as much as 24 hours forward of time after which retailer it within the fridge till you’re able to bake it. Should you use this methodology, you have to to bake it for somewhat longer, about an hour whole.
If you wish to make it even additional forward of time, it’s also possible to freeze the casserole earlier than you bake it. Cowl the casserole with a number of layers of plastic wrap or foil, and you’ll retailer this in your freezer for as much as three months. Permit to thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than baking, and you then’ll have to cowl it with foil for the primary half-hour it’s within the oven. When you’ve eliminated the foil, cook dinner uncovered for an additional 45–55 minutes.
Storage and Reheating Directions
Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 7 days.
Freeze leftover parts in an hermetic container or resealable plastic freezer bag. Thaw within the fridge in a single day.
Reheat parts within the microwave on excessive in 30-second increments, stirring in between for even heating.
