Creamy Chicken Casserole with mushrooms is a treasure of a recipe. It’s popularly called “Chicken Gloria” and it will win you over. This chicken bake is the perfect party dish and is a reader favorite.
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We love easy chicken casserole recipes like Chicken Tetrazzini and One-Pot Chicken and Rice. This Chicken and Mushroom Casserole does not disappoint!
Chicken Casserole Video
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Why we love this Chicken Bake
Crowd-Pleaser! Galina (my sister’s mama-in-law) is an amazing cook and this is her chicken and mushroom casserole. It is always a hit at parties and church potlucks. We make this often.
The chicken is incredibly tender – you will savor every morsel. I’ve seen sorta-somewhat similar recipes online referred to as Chicken Gloria, but I love that this one is made from scratch. It uses simple, non-canned ingredients (no cream of chicken soup needed).
Reheats Well – This chicken and mushroom casserole also re-heats really well (if you are lucky enough to have leftovers). You will likely add this recipe to your list of favorites.
Ingredients for Chicken Casserole
The ingredients for this recipe are surprisingly simple but they just work (see full printable ingredient list below):
- Chicken breast (or chicken tenders)
- Chicken broth
- Half and half*
- All-purpose flour (or use a GF substitute)
- Mushrooms
- Onion – it disappears into the sauce
- Garlic – don’t skip it
- Lemon juice – fresh is best
*What is half and half? Half and half is basically light cream. If you aren’t able to find “half and half” at your grocery store, you can substitute with equal parts of milk and heavy cream.
Can I Substitute the Mushrooms?
You can replace white mushrooms with portabello mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can substitute with different vegetables, just pick sturdy veggies (avoid zucchini which turns mushy). Here are some great options to replace mushrooms:
- Frozen peas
- Asparagus
- Caramelized onions
- Artichoke hearts (well-drained)
How to Make Chicken Casserole
1. Sautee Chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Once the oil is hot, add chicken and saute until golden, and transfer to a 13×9 casserole baking dish.
Pro Tip: Work in batches if needed so you don’t crowd your pan. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken through; it still needs to go in the oven
2. Sautee Mushrooms: Add 3 Tbsp oil along and saute mushrooms and onions until soft and golden. Add garlic and saute another 1-2 min. Spread mixture over the chicken.
3. Make the Sauce: In a medium saucepan (or in the same pan you’ve been using), melt 3 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour until lightly golden (1-2 min). Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup half & half and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine and Bake: Pour sauce over the chicken casserole. Cover with foil and bake chicken and mushroom casserole at 350˚F for 45 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Serve with
This chicken bakes in gravy so it is great served over Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Egg noodles (the same way we serve Beef Stroganoff). It’s also great paired with these fresh sides:
Common Questions
You can use trimmed chicken thighs or chicken tenders instead. If using chicken tenders, you don’t need to slice them.
Make and combine the chicken and mushrooms and refrigerate. The next day, make the sauce, assemble, and bake as directed.
Yes, you can reheat a pre-baked and chilled chicken casserole in the oven: cover with foil and bake at 325˚f for about 20 minutes or just until hot, or reheat on the stovetop over low heat just until hot, stirring occasionally.
Yes! You can freeze leftover chicken casserole. One of my readers shared her method: “It works! I took the pan out of the freezer, left it in the fridge most of the day, and reheated it in a 350* oven for about 40 minutes.”
One of our readers reported great results using a multi-cooker/ slow cooker: brown the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker using the sautee function and remove. Sautée onions and mushrooms then return chicken to the pan. Combine sauce ingredients in a pan on the stove, pour it over the chicken, and slow-cook on low for five hours.
More Casserole Recipes:
Casseroles are perfect for parties and gatherings because they are easy to make and easy to scale up. These casserole recipes always get rave reviews:
- Lasagna – arguably the “ultimate” casserole
- Stuffed Shells – so easy with a 3 cheese filling
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole – creamy, cheesy, delicious!
- Green Bean Casserole – elegant and made from scratch
- Sweet Potato Casserole – with crunchy pecan topping
- Baked Tilapia Casserole – topped with veggies
Chicken Casserole Recipe (Chicken Gloria)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chicken and Mushroom Casserole:
- 2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts , (4 to 5 large), cut into 1 -inch thick strips
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt , plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour , to coat the chicken
- 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb white mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Ingredients for the Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, for the sauce
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup half and half, or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge both sides in flour. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken and saute until golden. Work in batches if needed so you don't crowd your pan. Don't worry about cooking the chicken through; it still needs to go in the oven. Transfer chicken to a 13×9 casserole baking dish.
- Scrape of any debris from the skillet. Add 3 Tbsp oil along with sliced mushrooms and diced onions and saute until soft and golden. Add garlic and saute another 1-2 min. Spread mixture over the chicken.
- In a medium saucepan (or in the same pan you’ve been using), melt 3 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour until lightly golden (1-2 min).
- Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup half & half and bring to a simmer. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce over the chicken and mushrooms. Cover with foil and bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes. Serve warm or hot over mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Why don’t you let us print our own page – why we have to sign up with you ? I don’t like it. Please give us good reason why are you doing this. On other food blogs we can just print recipe without signing up
Hi Vera, thanks for asking! That email screen is something I’m testing—it’s a more privacy-friendly way to know who’s visiting, and it helps me keep sharing recipes for free without using third-party cookies. You’ll need to enter your email to get to the print page, but subscribing to emails is totally optional—the box is checked by default, but you can uncheck it if you’d rather not subscribe. You’ll only need to enter your email once unless you’re using multiple browsers. I really appreciate your support!
It was a hit. My son and husband told me that i can do it anytime. So easy and so good. Thanks you Natasha for a nother great supper.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This was really good. I didn’t have half & half or heavy cream, so I used all whole milk (plus a dollop of sour cream and a little extra butter) The sauce was so good and not too runny! It was a wonderful dish.
Great to hear that it worked!Thank you for sharing your experience trying out this recipe!
I have been so frustrated with the toughness of chicken breast no matter where we have bought them ,all the same toughness in all different recipes. I tried this recipe as I very much enjoy Natasha’s Kitchen, it was mouth watering with flavor and so tender, when my husband said this is tender I was so grateful, haven’t heard those words for awhile for chicken breast. It was delicious!
Hi,
If I use frozen peas in place of the mushrooms, would I cook them before adding and at what point would I add them? I assume they would not need to be sautéed.
Hello there! You can use frozen peas without sauteeing them, you can add them in when combining with the sauce or in the baking dish before pouring the sauce.
Hi Natasha, my whole family loves this recipe! It is a regular favourite in our house. Can I make this recipe and freeze it before we bake it and bake it another night when there is no time for cooking? Or can it be frozen after baked, or not frozen at all?
Hi there! Per food safety guidelines, it’s not recommended to partially cook the chicken and then freeze/refrigerate. You can freeze this afterwards, it reheats well. See the common questions section above for further instructions.
Easy and delicious! The chicken was so tender. I would like to add a little color to this recipe to serve for holiday guests so I may try adding some carrots next time. Any thoughts?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I think adding carrots is a great idea to add color and add a touch of sweetness to the recipe.
Hi, I haven’t tried this yet but I didn’t see this question. Would this work with a gluten free flour?
Hi Tanya, I have not tried a gluten-free substitution but you may check the other comments below or maybe someone here can share if they have tried it!
Is there amy way I could prepare the chicken for this dish without frying? My husband can not have any fried foods. Maybe pre-baking the chicken?
Hi Deb, yes pre-baking it should work too! Enjoy!
Hi Natasha,
Your recipes are always awesome! Do you know if I can make this with pasta (possibly penne or elbows) added to it – to make it a one pot wonder?
Hi Candy, I haven’t tried doing that cooked pasta. I think it might be safer to cook the pasta on the side and serve this dish over the pasta.
I looked at maybe 100 of the comments and didn’t see this question. I am cooking for 6 servings. The ingredients call for 0.9 cups chicken broth. The instructions say to add one and one-half cups of chicken broth. Which is it? Otherwise, a great entre over rice with a side of fresh vegetables.
Hi Leon! When you change the number of servings, it will convert the ingredients list for you but unfortunately the instructions don’t update.
Thank you for your explanation. I only asked because there is a significant difference between 0.9 cups and 1.5 cups, for 6 servings. Likewise, for 15 servings, ingredients say 2.25 cups broth, but instructions still say 1.5 cups. Unfortunately, it creates confusion in a recipe for an otherwise FABULOUS dish.