Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan, with a bacon twist and it’s at least twice as fast as the oven. It’s officially Fall! Fall brings many wonderful things – cozy sweaters, pumpkins, football, leaves crunching underfoot. But one of the very best things about cooler weather is comfort food. And by comfort food, I mean casseroles. This is typically a category of food reserved for families, something you can throw together for a big crowd. I’m going to show you how to translate this into an easy, quick, and inexpensive meal for one or two. To maximize the affordability, we will be showcasing one protein in all three recipes. To maximize the yum, we will be including an unexpected twist on a classic casserole ingredient.

Links related to this post:

• Air Fryer Chicken And Stuffing Casserole
• Air Fryer Bacon
• Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Bacon Soup, 10.5 oz. Can (Pack of 12)
• Pyrex FBA_1105395 Basics 8.1″ Square (2 Quart), 8 inch, Clear
• Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven 7 in 1 with Rotisserie, 10 Qt, EvenCrisp Technology

For the protein, we’re going with a dependable standby. Rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery store is one of the most versatile prepared foods out there. It’s great for chicken salad, soup, to serve as-is with a few easy sides, the list goes on. And don’t forget to save the remaining bits and bones for a nice stock. This Chicken Divan recipe is also a wonderful way to use up any leftovers as well.

Now for the Chicken Divan wild card. The majority of the time, casseroles will call for good old condensed cream of *insert flavor here* soup. The standbys are cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and cream of celery. Other than adding creaminess, within these magical cans is the key to full flavor. And what’s the fullest flavor out there? Yep. Bacon. I didn’t even know that cream of bacon (link above) soup existed until I came across it the other day. Let me tell you, it was fate. It adds a boost that takes your average casserole to another level.

The first casserole of the week is a retro classic: Chicken Divan. In the beginning, this was as a chicken dish that incorporated Mornay sauce and broccoli. It was considered to be an upper scale entrée, but when canned cream soups became a popular and convenient substitute, Chicken Divan became much more accessible to the everyday cook. It’s evolved into an essential recipe upon which many other casseroles have been based. It’s very customizable, from the vegetables to the seasoning and topping. For my version, I chose to use asparagus. As for the flavor, cream of bacon takes center stage, adding a smoky element that compliments the chicken beautifully. For the topping, panko breadcrumbs provide a great crispy texture to contrast the silkiness of the sauce. 

If you prefer broccoli or another topping (crushed cheese crackers would be lovely), feel free to play around with substitutes. However, I do think this twist on classic Chicken Divan is a magical combination and can’t be beat.

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