Chicken Divine Casserole {with Crushed Cracker Topping}

This vintage recipe for Chicken Divine Casserole is made with chicken, rice, and condensed soup. Topped with crushed crackers, and baked until bubbly. It's the perfect comfort food casserole!

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Lest you accuse me of irreverence, this chicken casserole is not at all truly "divine". Rather it has been given that name by a woman who submitted the recipe to a vintage (circa 1970's) collective cookbook. Since the internet is flooded with casseroles of the "chicken and rice" variety, I wanted to ensure that I gave it the name it was given, just in case someone went scouring google, looking for the exact recipe their Granny used to make for them. While there have been some minor tweaks, this is the OG "Chicken Divine" (NOT Chicken Divan) casserole that you may have encountered during the condensed soup casserole golden years.

A Crushed Cracker Topping

And so this recipe, while a standard chicken and rice style casserole, is a little bit different from others I've seen. While the original recipe calls for crushed buttery round crackers (aka Ritz crackers), I've opted instead for crushed Cheez-its since it's what I have on hand. I have an incredible weakness for these crackers, and my mother had given us a few boxes on her most recent visit. I've since determined that they are not an item I can exercise self-control with, and as such they have been banned! You can use any variety of cracker here, so long as it has a higher fat content. You could also use buttered breadcrumbs with great results. That will probably be my method going forward.

Using Precooked Chicken Breasts

This recipe makes excellent use of pre-cooked chicken breasts. I used my Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts and sliced them thinly to include in this casserole. It was absolutely lovely this way, and the chicken stayed moist through the casserole baking time. You could also use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, although that may be a bit on the dryer side comparatively.

What Ingredients Will I Need?

• Cooked chicken breasts: I used my Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts for this recipe, which makes for a casserole without dried out chicken. You can use any method for cooking your chicken, and you could even use leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Mayonnaise: Use a real mayonnaise, or homemade if preferred.
• Cream of Chicken soup: You need about 2 cans of cream of chicken soup for this recipe. You could also substitute some of my Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup if desired.
• Lemon juice: An unexpected addition, but creates a bright flavor! You can use fresh or bottled for Chicken Divine Casserole.
• Rice: Long grain white rice is used in this recipe, but you could use instant rice if that's what you have on hand. The original recipe uses instant rice, but we don't keep that in our pantry so I used long grain.
• Chicken broth: A little bit of chicken broth helps add some liquid, which will be absorbed by the rice. You can use store-bought, or homemade (like my Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth)
• Shredded cheese: I recommend using a cheddar cheese block and grating it yourself. Shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents, which makes it poor for melting and can result in grainy sauces. I recommend using old or sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe.
• Crushed cracker crumbs: Any buttery or cheesy flavored cracker will work well for the topping. You can also used buttered breadcrumbs or cornflakes if desired.

How to Make Chicken Divine Casserole

Making Chicken Divine Casserole is so easy and simple! This comforting vintage casserole is made using one bowl (for mixing) and one baking dish (for baking).

Add the Cream of Chicken soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and chicken broth in a bowl. Mix well to combine.

Add the shredded cheddar cheese and fold it in.

Then, add the rice. Stir well.

Add the cooked chicken breasts and fold them in to coat them completely in the sauce.

Spread your mixture into a 9X13 glass baking dish (we love Pyrex).

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.

Once cooked through, remove the foil and top with the crushed crackers. Return to the oven and broil for 1-3 minutes, keeping a close eye to avoid burning.

Questions and Answers