Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe

Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe is a British-inspired creamy poultry bake featuring tender broccoli florets and a sharp cheddar sauce. This comforting oven dish uses succulent chicken breast, earthy cremini mushrooms, and a golden panko breadcrumb topping.

If you do nothing else, make sure the broccoli is drained until it’s completely dry after simmering. The first time I made this, I rushed that step and ended up with a watery sauce at the bottom of the dish. That’s the difference between a thick, velvety coating and a soggy mess.

The sauce comes down to the temperature of your milk and how slowly you add it to the roux. I’ve tried using cold milk, but room temperature milk blends much faster and prevents those annoying flour lumps from forming. It’s the kind of midweek dinner that feels like a Sunday treat when the kids have had a long day at school.

Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe Ingredients

The Base

• 700g (1lb 8oz) broccoli, cut into florets
• 700g (1lb 8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1cm (1/2-inch) strips
• 60g (2oz) unsalted butter, plus 30g (1oz) melted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 225g (8oz) cremini mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste

The Sauce

• 30g (1oz) plain flour
• 750ml (1 1/3 pints) full-fat milk, at room temperature
• 250g (9oz) shredded medium-sharp cheddar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 120ml (4fl oz) sour cream

The Topping

• 60g (2oz) panko breadcrumbs
• Cooked egg noodles or steamed white rice, for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe

1. Prepare the oven and broccoli: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6) and simmer 120ml (4fl oz) water in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli with a pinch of salt, cover the pan, and cook for 6 minutes until the stalks are tender but still have a bite. Drain the florets into a colander and leave them there to steam dry while you move them to a large bowl later.
2. Brown the chicken: Pat the meat dry with kitchen roll and season with salt and pepper before melting 30g (1oz) butter in the wiped-out skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken strips and fry for about 4 minutes until the edges are golden and the centres are no longer pink. Move the first batch to a plate and repeat with the rest of the chicken, making sure not to crowd the pan.
3. Make the mushroom sauce: Melt another 30g (1oz) butter in the same pan and stir in the onion and mushrooms for 7 minutes until the liquid from the fungi has evaporated. Stir in the flour for 30 seconds to coat the vegetables, then slowly pour in the milk whilst whisking constantly until the mixture stays on the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in 170g (6oz) of the cheese, the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and sour cream until the sauce is smooth.
4. Assemble the bake: Tip the chicken and any juices from the plate into the bowl with the dry broccoli, pour over the cheese sauce, and stir gently to coat everything. Transfer the mixture into a 2.5-litre (4.5-pint) baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the breadcrumbs and the remaining 80g (3oz) of cheese, then scatter this over the top of the dish.
5. Bake and rest: Place the dish in the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the crumbs are deep brown. Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit on the side for 15 minutes before you try to spoon it out. This resting time is essential because it allows the sauce to thicken up so it doesn’t run all over the plate when served with your noodles or rice.

Recipe Tips

• Dry the broccoli thoroughly. If the florets are still wet when they go into the sauce, the extra moisture will thin out the cheddar base and make it greasy. Leave them in a colander for at least five minutes or pat them with kitchen roll.
• Use room temperature milk. Adding fridge-cold milk to a hot flour and butter roux often causes the fat to seize into small lumps. Take the milk out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start the sauce to ensure a silky texture.
• Don’t overcook the chicken. Remember the meat will spend another twenty minutes in a hot oven once the dish is assembled. Take the strips out of the pan as soon as they lose their raw pink colour so they stay juicy after baking.
• Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheddar from the supermarket is often coated in potato starch to stop it sticking in the bag. This coating can prevent the cheese from melting smoothly into the sauce, so buy a block and grate it yourself.
• Prep the components ahead. You can fry the chicken and steam the broccoli the night before and keep them in the fridge. This makes the final assembly much faster when you need to get dinner on the table after work.

• Swap the breadcrumbs. If you don’t have panko, crushed butter crackers or even roughly blitzed leftover sourdough make an excellent crunchy topping. Just make sure the pieces are small enough to mix evenly with the melted butter.

What To Serve With Chicken Divan

This creamy bake is quite substantial, so it needs something to soak up the sauce like wide egg noodles or fluffy long-grain white rice. A simple side of steamed green beans or a crisp garden salad with a sharp lemon dressing cuts through the richness of the cheddar.

If you want a more traditional British feel, serve it alongside a pile of buttery mashed potatoes. Some crusty bread is also handy for wiping the plate clean of every last bit of the mushroom and mustard sauce.

How To Store Chicken Divan

Fridge

Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Make sure the dish has cooled completely to room temperature before putting the lid on to prevent condensation from making the topping soggy.

Reheat

The best way to reheat this is in the oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for about 15 minutes until the centre is hot. You can use a microwave for a couple of minutes, but the breadcrumbs will lose their crunch and become soft.

Freeze

You can freeze the assembled dish before baking for up to two months if wrapped tightly in clingfilm and foil. Defrost it overnight in the fridge and add five extra minutes to the baking time to ensure the chicken is piping hot.

Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 6):

• Calories: 585
• Protein: 42g
• Fat: 36g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 840mg

FAQs

Why is my Chicken Divan sauce watery?

The most common cause is the broccoli releasing excess water into the sauce because it wasn’t drained or dried properly after simmering. Make sure you let the florets steam dry in a colander before mixing them with the other ingredients.

Can I use frozen broccoli for this Martha Stewart Chicken Divan Recipe?

Yes, you can use frozen florets, but you must defrost them completely and squeeze out any lingering moisture first. Skip the initial simmering step and just stir the defrosted, dried broccoli straight into the sauce.

What is the best chicken to use for this bake?

Chicken breasts are traditional because they stay lean and hold their shape, but you can use boneless thighs for a deeper flavour. If using thighs, cook them for an extra two minutes in the pan to ensure the dark meat is fully rendered.

Can I make this recipe without mushrooms?

You can leave the mushrooms out if you aren’t a fan, but you should add an extra half an onion to keep the base flavour balanced. Alternatively, swap them for sliced leeks or diced red peppers for a different texture.

Why do I have to rest the dish for 15 minutes?

Resting allows the starches in the sauce to settle and thicken as the temperature drops slightly. If you serve it immediately, the sauce will be very thin and the topping might slide off the chicken.

Try More Recipes:

• Martha Stewart Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
• Martha Stewart Chicken Spinach And Potato Hash Recipe
• Martha Stewart Chicken Soup Rice Recipe