Chicken Divan Recipe Sherry Parmesan

Poached chicken and blanched broccoli bake under sherry-Parmesan cream and a golden panko cap—six servings, make-ahead friendly, family-tested from Austrian kitchens through July 2026 rental kitchens across Southeast Asia.

By Oliver Mayerhoffer & Natalia Mayerhoffer · Fieldwork updated July 2026

How do you make chicken divan with sherry and Parmesan?

Layer poached chicken and blanched broccoli in a buttered dish. Simmer sherry, cream, and milk with onion and garlic, then melt Parmesan and Dijon into the sauce. Pour over the casserole, top with buttered panko, and bake at 350°F about thirty-five minutes until golden.

Oliver writes from Southeast Asia fieldwork through July 2026; Natalia reviews safety and nutrition notes; Victor is the final vote on family plates. Jump to full recipe

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Servings

Chicken divan casserole with broccoli and Parmesan

Sherry-Parmesan chicken divan

Chicken divan layers poached chicken and blanched broccoli under a sherry cream sauce and buttery panko cap—a French-American casserole our family still bakes for weeknights and guests. This version skips canned soup and relies on cream reduction, aged Parmesan, and dry sherry for depth.

Assemble the dish ahead, refrigerate, and bake when you are ready to serve. Pair it with a simple green salad or our butternut squash soup on cooler nights.

Chicken divan casserole (sherry & Parmesan)

Prep 25 min Cook 45 min Total 1 hr 10 min 6 servings

Sherry sauce
Make-ahead
Family-tested

Ingredients

3 cups poached chicken, shredded
4 cups broccoli florets, blanched and drained
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup dry sherry (fino or amontillado)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and white pepper to taste
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted (topping)
½ cup Parmesan for topping

Method

Sauce base: Sauté onion in olive oil until soft; add garlic thirty seconds. Pour in sherry; simmer two minutes.
Cream sauce: Add cream and milk; simmer gently four to five minutes until slightly thickened. Off heat, whisk in Parmesan and Dijon until smooth. Season.
Assemble: Butter a 9×13-inch dish. Layer chicken, then broccoli. Pour sauce evenly over the top.
Topping: Toss panko with melted butter and Parmesan; scatter over the casserole.
Bake: Bake at 350°F thirty-five to forty minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest five minutes before serving.

Nutrition snapshot (per serving)

Approximate values for one of six servings—adjust if you scale the casserole.

Nutrient	Approx. amount
Calories	420 kcal
Protein	28 g
Fat	30 g
Carbohydrates	12 g

Keep exploring after chicken divan

Chicken and casserole routing from our family archive—bisque, wings, squash soup, and recipe index.

Chicken: Middle Eastern chicken · Honey garlic wings
Casserole sides: Butternut squash soup · Chicken tomato bisque
More: Grilled chicken sandwich · Recipe index
Who we are: Oliver Mayerhoffer · Natalia Mayerhoffer · Editorial policy

Quick answers

Questions we hear often

What is chicken divan?

Chicken divan is an American casserole of chicken, broccoli, and creamy cheese sauce baked with a breadcrumb topping. Sherry and Parmesan are classic flavor anchors in the restaurant version this recipe follows.

Can you make chicken divan ahead?

Yes. Assemble through the topping step, cover, and refrigerate up to twenty-four hours. Bake straight from the fridge, adding five to ten minutes if needed until bubbling.

What sherry works best in chicken divan?

Use dry fino or amontillado sherry, not salted cooking sherry. Simmer two to three minutes so alcohol cooks off while nutty flavor stays in the cream sauce.

The Victor Standard

Victor tested it. Here is the honest verdict.

What Victor said

Victor is the final vote on family plates — age 9 in 2026.

Oliver's honest note

Structural testing and reflux-safe ingredient choices — editorial field notes only.

Meet the Mayerhoffers

“Free-spirited food adventurers, culture-seekers, and the guardians of 15 years of global memories.”

Oliver Mayerhoffer

Lead Author · Father

Lead author — fifty-country archive, currently traveling Southeast Asia through July 2026. Oliver brings field-tested recipe structure and honest weeknight notes from family kitchens abroad.

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