Servings: 8

2 pounds cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 pounds cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into spears 1 to 2 heads of broccoli, cut into spears
2-4 cups cooked rice 2 to 4 cups cooked rice
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
 
Sauce: subheading: Sauce:
½ cup butter ½ cup butter
½ cup flour ½ cup flour
2 cups milk 2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth 2 cups chicken broth
2 cups mayonnaise 2 cups mayonnaise
6 tablespoons lemon juice 6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon yellow curry 1 teaspoon yellow curry

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9" x 13" baking dish by spraying with cooking spray or greasing with butter. Cut the chicken into service sized pieces (either slices or large pieces for single servings).
If not already cooked, steam the broccoli until just cooked (about 5 minutes). Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and drain well. Once cooled and drained, Arrange the chicken and broccoli in the 9" x 13" dish.
In a 3 quart sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth to make a roux. Turn the heat up to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute to cook off some of the flour taste, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't burn. Turn the heat up to medium and add the chicken broth. Whisk until mixed and smooth. Sauce will thicken almost immediately so be ready to add the milk as soon as the first mixture is smooth. Again, whisk until mixed and smooth. Allow the sauce to continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and just below boiling (approx 5 to 10 minutes).
Add curry. Whisk until the current is all mixed in and the sauce is bright yellow. Add mayonnaise and whisk until smooth. Add lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Keep stirring the sauce over medium heat for about another minute.
Pour enough sauce to coat the chicken and broccoli in the baking dish. You should have about 1 to 1½ cups of sauce remaining. Top pan with grated Parmesan. Place in the oven and bake uncovered until the sauce is bubbling (approx 30 minutes). Serve over cooked rice.

This recipe deviates from some Chicken Divan recipes in that the sauce does not use cheese or sour cream and instead uses mayonnaise, curry, and lemon juice. Instead of a cream soup, you make a bechamel or white sauce.  This recipe deviates from some Chicken Divan recipes in that the sauce does not use cheese or sour cream and instead uses mayonnaise, curry, and lemon juice. Instead of a cream soup, you make a bechamel or white sauce.
You can pre-cook the chicken and broccoli 1-2 days before making the dish. Everything goes in the oven once the casserole is prepared and will get reheated then.  You can pre-cook the chicken and broccoli 1 to 2 days before making the dish. Everything goes in the oven once the casserole is prepared and will get reheated then.
The sauce quantities are double the normal recipe because we like extra sauce.  The sauce quantities are double the normal recipe because we like extra sauce.