Chicken Divan

I have tried many variations of this recipe but always come back to the one I was raised on. It seems to have the right proportion of sauce to chicken and broccoli. In our family we would serve it over white rice, but it can stand on its own.

Do not use frozen broccoli florets because they retain too much water and will turn this into soup (I know, because I've tried). When it comes to bread crumbs, I like to use panko because of their superb crunch, but regular or Italian style work just as well.

CHICKEN DIVAN

3 cups cooked, diced chicken
2-3 crowns of broccoli, cut into florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 inch of water until boiling. Add broccoli florets, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain water and spread florets evenly in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with chicken.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soup, water, mayo, lemon juice, pepper, and curry powder. Pour evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and melted butter; sprinkle over cheese.

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.