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!
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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
Do you think this would taste good with meatballs? What about adding a little spinach or broccoli? I am going to make this as is tonight, but was curious to know what your thoughts were on the above adaptations?
Hi Marisa, I haven’t tried meatballs instead of chicken but I do think it would taste great with meatballs. I don’t see why not! Spinach and broccoli might be overcooked by the time the casserole is finished, unless you added them later in baking.
Would you be able to add minute rice to casserole?
Hi Becky, I haven’t experimented with rice in the recipe, except serving the recipe over rice. Rice will absorb some liquid in the dish so you might have to adjust liquid amounts.
We made this dish tonight and it tasted great but the sauce was thin. How thick is the sauce supposed to be?
Thanks
Cathy
Hi Cathy, once it is baked, it should be the consistency of a gravy and it will thicken as it sits.
How many people would this serve, please?
Hi Frances, this serves 8. I usually have that information in the print-friendly recipe card towards the bottom.
Could I make this recipe in the crockpot?
Hi Lillya, I haven’t tried it myself but one of my readers tried it in a 4 in 1 slow cooker and shared her results: “Earlier in the week I had posted wondering if anyone had made this dish in a 4 in 1 slow cooker. I tried it this weekend and it turned out great. Following the recipe, I browned the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker, removed the chicken and sautéed onions and mushrooms, and returned chicken to the pan. I combined all the sauce ingredients in a pan on the stove, poured it over the chicken and slow cooked for five hours. Chicken came out so tender. Per other people’s recipe suggestions I also added two heaping tablespoons of sour cream just before serving.” I hope that’s helpful!
Tripled recipe, cut chicken into smaller pieces for buffet party of 30+ people. Made this appropriately named dish ahead, placed in shallow dishes, froze, defrosted in fridge, reheated in oven. Tender and delicious. Smaller portions can be reheated successfully in microwave.
Hi Gloria, thank you so much for sharing that with us and for the nice review 😬. Have a wonderful New Year!
Greetings from Spain! Absolutely scrumptious…..I shall be making this more often for sure! I added half a yogurt instead of heavy cream. It worked out fine. Many thanks for this recipe!
Merry Christmas 🙂
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Amanda! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
Looks delicious. Can I make this the night before serving would I need to cook it all the way through, cool and re-heat..?
Hi Christine, yes that would work well to make it ahead, refrigerate and then reheat. This casserole reheats really well. You can also premake the chicken and refrigerate it then the next day, combine it with the sauce and bake before serving. You will need to bake slightly longer if it is coming right out of the refrigerator.
Where can I buy the Chicken Borth?
Hi Nina, chicken broth and chicken stock are interchangeable so you can get either one at most grocery stores. I hope you love the recipe! You can also make your own using a bouillon cube or the better than bouillon past mixed with water.
This would work well for a tuna casserole too, I’d change the mushrooms out for peas, and then add crushed potato chips over the top.
I agree Kat! That does sound delicious!
OMG this was great and everyone liked
I’m happy to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your review Lana!
Absolutely delicious! Even after I substituted almond milk for cream since my mom can’t eat dairy – it was extremely tasty!
I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Reba! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was excellent. I didn’t have cream so I used low fat milk and it still came out delicious.
My husband said, “What is that called”? If he comments on a meal yah know it was good.
That’s awesome! I’m glad to her how much you both love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Sherrie!
Made this last night, my husband and I loved it will definitely making this again.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe
You’re welcome Maureen! I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Looks like a great recipe! Can I use skinless boneless chicken thigh instead of chicken breast?
Yes, that would work 😬. Several people reported great results with chicken thighs.
Could you use skinless chicken thighs whole
I haven’t tried whole thighs but it should be a good experience .
Holy smokes this was SO FREAKING GOOD. Thank you so much for the great recipe. I’m going through to check out more of your stuff with very high expectations!
You’re welcome Adam! I’m glad to hear you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Can you freeze this?
Hi Lisa, that should work well. One of my readers, Terri, shared: “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. Frankly, I think Round Two tastes just as delicious, if not slightly better, than Round One! The one change I made: I took the foil off the last 15 minutes of cooking time so the top of everything got just a little crispy and golden. Delicious!”
This is absolutely delicious. My family loved it. Even my grandkids who don’t like mushrooms loved it. ! Thanks for such a delicious recipe. Will make again 😋
You’re welcome Mary! I’m glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
I have tried this so many times and my family loves it, thank you very much for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing your great review!