A delicious chicken divan casserole without the extra carbs. This low carb chicken and broccoli recipe is a baked dish with a Parmesan cheese sauce.
Are you a fan of easy chicken dishes? I sure am. The easier the better for me, especially on busy weeknights.
This is a low carb Chicken Divan casserole. It’s made with broccoli and mornay sauce. Mornay is a sauce that contains grated cheese. Chicken Divan originated at a 1950s New York restaurant, the Divan Parisienne.
Here’s a low carb chicken divan recipe for the famous casserole with broccoli and Parmesan cheese. I like to use avocado mayonnaise in this casserole as I’ve been staying away from the kind made with seed oils. It’s pretty easy to make homemade mayonnaise as well. I’ve even made it with coconut oil.
It’s best to steam the broccoli first. I like to use fresh broccoli and put it in my steamer for about 15 minutes. If you like convenience, you can always use a “steam in bag” frozen broccoli that cooks up fast in the microwave. I love to cook those steam in bag veggies on busy nights after work. It makes it so easy!
Once you’ve got your steamed broccoli, you just need to dump it into a casserole dish along with some cubed chicken. There’s no need to cook the chicken first. It will cook up fine in the oven. Then, you just mix in some mayonnaise, sour cream, cooking wine, spices, and Parmesan cheese.
Then, you’ll bake the dish in the oven for about 25 minutes. You want the chicken to be fully cooked and the top to be a little browned. It doesn’t take long, especially if you cut up the chicken into small pieces.
This low carb Chicken Divan casserole is super easy to make. I bet it could even be placed into a casserole crock-pot before heading out. Then, you’d have a nice warm casserole waiting for you when you get home!
The cooking wine gives the sauce a nice tangy flavor. If you don’t have any cooking wine, I bet a little vinegar or lemon juice would work too. There are a bit of carbs in cooking wine, but I prefer it in this dish.
I find this low carb Chicken Divan casserole to be very filling. There is a lot of fat in the dish, but don’t let that scare you away. It’s been proven that high amounts of fat are best when following a low carb way of eating. That’s why fat bombs are so popular!
[2/13/16 UPDATE] I recently redid the photos for this recipe and added a preparation video. Hopefully, the updated photos and video will give this recipe the attention it deserves. Chicken Divan has always been a favorite of mine and I think you will love it too.
I’ve been spending some time updating the older photos on this food blog. I have come a long way in food photography. Unfortunately, it did take a good year to really figure out just how to use the camera and get better lighting. And, I still have a lot to learn. Practice does make perfect so I hope that you will see some of these older recipes in a new light after the updates!
Low Carb Chicken Divan Casserole
Chicken Divan Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli cooked
- 1½ lb chicken raw, cut in cubes
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons white cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sage
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place chicken and broccoli in 9×13 baking pan.
- Mix remaining ingredients in medium bowl then pour over chicken and broccoli. Or, just mix the remaining ingredients right in the baking pan with chicken and broccoli.
- Stir all ingredients well then spread evenly in pan.
- Bake 25 minutes.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:
Paula says
Pretty good. Mine also came out soupy and I did steam the broc. I think maybe the Lemon juice separated the mayo. I cooked it a little longer to try and boil off some of the liquid. I also added crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese on top….trying to get all the fats in!! I’ll try it again with less lemon juice. The taste was good.
Lisa MarcAurele says
I used wine and not lemon juice so I’m thinking a smaller amount of lemon juice should work.
LIbby says
This was very good but your recipe instructions don’t match your video instructions.
Lisa says
I found it easier to just mix everything in the baking pan so I didn’t have to dirty a bowl. Is there something else that doesn’t match?
KatieMae says
This was SOOOO good! Hubby is not much of a cook, but tackled this one and even with subbing feta for parmesan (and who really knows what else 😀 ), it turned out just great! I’m going to make one for the weekend even after having leftovers last night. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Olivia says
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out great! My whole family loved it and requested that it be made again! I did add shredded cheddar cheese to the top in the last few minutes of baking and it was delicious.
Catherine says
Has anyone tried freezing this? Would you bake it first? Having houseguests for for the weekend and this sounds wonderful!
Lisa says
I think you could freeze this without baking first, but I don’t know for sure.
Vicky says
I’ve always heard that it’s not safe to freeze something with mayonnaise in it if the dish has not been cooked. I’d bake it first, I think.
Lisa says
I do believe mayo can separate so I’d cook it first too. Thanks for catching that Vicky!
Margaret Owens says
I don’t buy cooking wines is there anything else I can use in this recipe bsides the white cooking wine?
Lisa says
Lemon juice or vinegar are usually good subs, but the amount used is typically a bit less since the alcohol boils off.
Vicky says
You could probably use any chardonnay. If you don’t drink alcohol, you might look for one of the “serving size” bottles that come in a four-pack. They usually sell them as singles.
Julie says
My casserole came out soupy. Any idea why? I followed the recipe to a T. The taste was good.
Lisa says
I’m not sure. The only thing I can think of is maybe the broccoli? I always lightly steam mine.
Sue Spollen says
I found that 25 min. was not enough to cook the chicken. Had to stir it several times to get the chicken cooked through, and cooked it about an hour at 350. It was delicious when done!
Lisa says
It depends on the size of the pieces. I like to cut them small so they cook faster (and I have a convection oven). But, definitely check for doneness before taking out of the oven!
Vicky Broy says
Love all your recipes. New to this kind of eating but going to give it 100%
Lisa says
Thanks for stopping in Vicky. Wishing you the best in your new low carb journey!
Patti says
I tried this tonight and it was delicious! I added in some sliced prosciutto I needed to use, and I think it added to the flavors well. I love that the recipe was not complicated, was low-carb and avoided using canned soup like so many other casserole recipes do. Thanks!
Lisa says
Love the idea of adding in some prosciutto!
Debbie says
I made this with cauliflower and broccoli and used a mix of cumin and turmeric instead of curry powder. This is so good. Such a quick and easy recipe too.
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing Debbie! Love the variation.
Josie door says
Is there something I can use as a sub for the wine? Like chicken broth?
Lisa says
Chicken broth, lemon juice, or a little vinegar are good subs.
Maria H. says
I just made this and it’s absolutely delicious! It was so easy to make, a little too easy lol While I was preparing it, I kept thinking I was forgetting something. Nope! Its just that easy to prepare, yet rich and full of flavor. Usually I tweak recipes to match my taste, but honestly I wouldn’t change anything in this dish. This is by far my new favorite dish especially since today was one of those days I just didn’t feel like chopping, dicing, mincing, sautéing etc. lol Honestly, I was quite uneasy about mixing everything with the uncooked chicken but I’m glad I did. The chicken cooked perfectly. It was very moist. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Maria! The easier the better for me!
Greg says
I don’t have kurry , thyme , or dried mustards. What can I substitute with?
Lisa says
Curry is usually a blend of cumin, red pepper, turmeric and or coriander. You could try a little prepared mustard for the dried mustard. And, the thyme could be subbed with basil, marjoram, or oregano.
Deb K says
This was sooo good! I love the addition of curry. The only thing different was that my chicken was cooked and shredded, and I added more Parm on top. I love cheese 🙂
Lisa says
The shredded chicken sounds like a nice change!
Jeanne says
I made this last night and it was excellent! I made it as written with one exception–I sprinkled some french fried onions on top before baking. I wanted a recipe that didn’t used canned soups and this was very tasty. A keeper!
Lisa says
Glad you enjoyed it! Crushed pork rinds can also be used to sprinkle on top if you want a lower carb option.
Megan @ A Dash of Megnut says
Simply gorgeous! and i LOVE the video!
Lisa says
Thanks Megan!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
casseroles are such a favorite in our house! great that night and for leftovers. yum!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
This looks absolutely wonderful!
Lisa says
Thanks Jocelyn!