I love when a recipe truly lives up to it’s name. Divine…. that’s a lot to live up to, a name like “Chicken Divine.” But I have to tell you, between the melty cheese sauce, the tender chicken, and the perfect pieces of broccoli, this is truly a divine dish. I also love when I can try out a recipe that’s been in the family for awhile. Now, this recipe didn’t originate with our family… my grandfather was given the recipe by a client (he was a hairdresser), who passed it along to him after she’d tried the recipe with much success in her own home. It wasn’t unusual for clients to pass along recipes they’d loved to my grandparents. That made this the first time I’d ever tried making this truly divine chicken for myself, but certainly not the last.
Begin by cooking broccoli in a pot of water with a little bit of sugar, salt, and pepper. Additionally, cook the chicken in a second pot of water, seasoning it the way you would any broth (because you’ll be using the broth in the cheese sauce later). For me, that means a little bit of bouillon, some garlic, a little salt and pepper, and a seasoning called “Greek seasoning” that my grandmother always keeps in the cabinet… but you can use any seasoning that you traditionally would to make a delicious chicken broth. The recipe called for 1 package of frozen chopped broccoli and 1 whole chicken, but since I didn’t have a whole chicken on hand, I just used several chicken breasts.
When cooked, drain the broccoli completely, and pat it dry carefully. Shred the chicken and set it aside, reserving the broth for the sauce.
To make the cheese sauce, you’ll start with a basic gravy recipe. You’ll need half a stick of butter and 2-3 Tablespoons of flour; melt the butter, then stir in the flour, forming a very thick mixture. Once those are well combined and thick, stir in 2 cups of the chicken broth you saved from earlier. Stir this mixture continuously until you get a nice, thick gravy. If you have any extra chicken broth, you can reserve it to cook your rice or pasta in for a boost of extra flavor, or freeze it in cubes for the next time you need a little broth.
To finish the cheese sauce, you’ll want to add in a small package of Velveeta. I added it in small pieces, then stirred until it completely melted.
In a casserole dish, layer the chicken and broccoli until you run out or the dish is almost full. Then, pour the cheese sauce over the top of the casserole dish. You don’t need to stir this– the cheese can just soak into the top.
Bake it at 350 for 30 minutes or until it “bubbles good.” I don’t know what is meant by bubbles good… I mean, opposed to bubbles bad? But mine was definitely hot and bubbly when I removed it, then gave it a stir. The top of the cheese sauce will likely be a little smooth and thick, so give it a really good stir before serving.
- 1 Chicken or several chicken breasts, cooked, reserving 2 cups of broth
- 1 Pkg frozen chopped broccoli
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2-3 Tbsp flour
- 1 small Pkg Velveeta cheese
- Rice or pasta, optional
- Cook chicken in pan, seasoning as you would any chicken broth. Shred chicken, reserving broth for sauce.
- Cook broccoli in another pan with a little bit of sugar, salt, and pepper. Drain and pat dry.
- In saucepan, melt butter, then stir in flour, combining to make a thick roux.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth from earlier to the flour butter mixture, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
- Add small package of Velveeta cheese, stirring until melted.
- Layer chicken and broccoli in a casserole dish, then pour cheese sauce on top.
- Bake 30 minutes at 350, remove from oven, and stir.
- Serve over rice or pasta.
There’s something really divine about this chicken. It’s deeply cheesy, and the broccoli is really great in the cheese sauce. If you love broccoli cheese soup, you’ll like this non-soup take on the same flavor profile.
For more chicken recipes, check out this chicken pot pie, or this yummy chicken gnocchi soup. Both are a super easy way to use up some leftover chicken or turkey you have on hand! What’s YOUR favorite way to use leftover chicken? Let me know in the comments below!
