Make Ahead Chicken Divan Casserole Recipes

CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken from the water.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Chop broccoli.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a deep saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is clear and tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Add garlic salt, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Pulse cauliflower in a blender or food processor until it resembles rice. Add cauliflower and chicken broth to the onion mixture; cook and stir until broth is nicely absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream and lemon juice. Let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until well combined, about 10 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and remove from heat. Let sauce cool until thickened.
• Pull chicken apart with 2 forks into bite-size pieces. Add 1/2 the pulled chicken to the sauce.
• Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the rest of the pulled chicken. Lay steamed broccoli on top; pour the cauliflower sauce over the broccoli. Top with Cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese at the edges is slightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Let casserole cool for 5 to 10 minutes; slice into 6 even portions.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Whisk condensed soup, sour cream, milk, and mayonnaise together in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved Cheddar-Parmesan mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir to combine the sauce.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add cooked rice as the bottom layer. Add cooked broccoli as the next layer, and then layer on the cooked chicken. Cover with remaining sauce. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar-Parmesan mixture, plus extra Parmesan if desired, and continue to bake until browned, about 15 minutes more.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, broccoli, soup, milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper and mushroom mixture; transfer to a greased 13-in x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until stuffing is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.