AMERICAN AND ENGLISH ORIGINS

Chicken & broccoli bake is thought to be based on a US dish, chicken Divan, a casserole with broccoli, almonds and cheese sauce, once a signature dish at a (long-gone) New York hotel’s Divan Parisien restaurant. With time, like many classic dishes, it has been simplified and all the ingredients are pre-cooked and baked in the sauce. The almonds have disappeared and been replaced with breadcrumbs. The laziest versions use readymade mayonnaise and canned soup instead of cheese sauce. As for mac & cheese, it’s not Italian — as if! — but rather has UK and US roots. Similar to the broccoli bake, it combines cooked pasta and cheese sauce.