Chicken Divan Stuffed Shells in Dijon Sauce is made without any canned soups, mayonnaise or sour cream.
This mouthwatering dish has all the comforts of the traditional dish without all the calories.
Chicken Divan Stuffed Shell Recipe
By coincidence I’m sharing a version of another classic French recipe created during the same time-frame as the French 75 cocktail.
I think this must be a sign that I should be planning a trip to Paris!
Chicken Divan was created by a chef that worked at the Divan Parisien Restaurant in the New York Chatham Hotel (wikipedia).
The traditional dish is made with a rich French Mornay sauce that covers filets of chicken and a vegetable like broccoli.
If you’ve eaten French food before, then you know that sauces are the foundation for the cuisine, so the rich and creamy sauce is what you would expect to find in a dish like this.
Lightened Up Chicken Divan
What you don’t expect is to find the same ingredients in the classic dish to be served in pasta shells or the sauce to be lightened up!
Without sacrificing the flavor, the homemade sauce is made with low-fat milk and chicken broth in place of the half & half.
In addition, to thicken up the liquid ingredients a roux was added giving the sauce a creamy texture.
Only a half of cup of parmesan cheese is folded into the sauce giving it a sharp nutty flavor.
These Chicken Divan Stuffed Shells are savory and rich. Two flavors that we love to taste together. Want to cut down the prep and cooking time?
Use leftover chicken or purchase a cooked roasted chicken for this recipe.
You won’t miss the calories in this lightened up Mornay sauce, I promise!
Although if you have an opportunity to taste the authentic dish in Paris, then please lick the plate and sent me a photo! 🙂
Chicken Divan Stuffed Shells In Dijon Sauce
Stuffed shells with chicken topped with homemade dijon sauce. This mouthwatering dish has all the comforts of the traditional dish without all the calories.
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce jumbo pasta shells
- 4 chicken breasts cooked and diced (about 1 1/2 lbs if using leftovers)
- 2 bunches broccoli, steamed for 5 minutes until crisp-tender and diced
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 cup low-fat milk (you can use cream, full fat or half & half for a richer sauce)
- 1/3 cup sherry wine
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan Reggiano blend of cheese, shredded (divided)
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
Notes
Leftover chicken can be used for this dish. Dark and white meat are both delicious in this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 593Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1151mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 41g
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
Caitlin
What an amazing meal!
Kristin
This needs to land on my dinner menu sooner rather than later!
[email protected] Eats
I love stuffed shells! I have never heard of Divan, but now I know what it is!! Oooh, I really really REALLY want to try this! 🙂
Michele
I am really not into sauces which is probably why I do not like French cuisine. This lighter version just might appeal to my taste buds and I will give it a try.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I’ve always stuffed shells with cheesey, sausagey, tomatoey goodness but looking at the ones you’ve done with chicken divan – my taste buds exploded!
Renee's Kitchen Adventures
What a great twist on a classic dish! love this Sandra!
Heather
Wow! That looks amazing! I have those big shells in my pantry! I could make this!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I love that you have taken an Italian pasta and given it a French twist…the shells sound great.
Robin (Masshole Mommy)
OMG, I am drooling over these. They look amazing.
jamie
Wow, those look really good!
Donald
Looks delicious…just might need to make a special trip to the west coast for this.
Bam's Kitchen
A lovely cozy dish! I like your idea with stuffing it with chicken divine flavours. Creamy and delicious! Sharing, of course!
Sandra Shaffer
Thank you, Bobbi 🙂 This came out really tasty!
Rachael
This sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it!
Sandra Shaffer
We enjoyed this dish. Makes great lunch leftovers too!