Make Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Bake Like You Remember

Chicken Divan became smart mothers’ tactic for getting their kids to eat vegetables after the recipe popped up in cookbooks in the late 1950s and early ‘60s.

Cheesy chicken broccoli casserole is easy to pull together and hits the spot on a chilly winter night. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

Most of us who grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s can recall certain staple dishes—either with love or so much distaste.

Then, and to this day, I can’t stand even the thought of tuna noodle casserole, a meal my older brothers loved—they'd fight over the crunchy crust of Ritz crackers my mom always piled on top—and my husband every once in a blue moon asks for.