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
I love this. Can it be prepared the night before and baked on the day?
Hi Sarah, 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.
Hi! This sounds like a less processed version of my moms recipe for a creamy chicken and rice bake that uses cream of mushroom soup. If i wanted to cook rice in the cream mixture to make like a cssserole how much extra liquid do you think it would require?
Hi Mary, Without testing that first, I won’t be able to give a recommendation. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes!
Please tell me what half and half is.
Hello June, it is half heavy cream and half regular milk!
Thanks Natasha, I ended up using half milk and half chicken stock as I was already making the casserole when I asked you. It turned out really nice and may be good for those who cannot take much dairy.
You’re welcome June! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a success. Thanks for sharing your helpful review with other readers!
Hi Natasha
The chicken and mushroom receipe is beyond good! I try to help out my daughter by sending a meal home once a week, she is a working mom expecting her 2nd child. My son-in-law asks for this every time and my husband,who is fussy, is happy I make a patch for us.
I look forward to other recipes by you.
Hello Christine! I’m happy to hear the recipe is enjoyed by the whole family. Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review!
Servi sur des pâtes, c’était vraiment très bon! J’ai allongé un peu la sauçe pour être certaine d’en avoir assez; à refaire assurément!
Hi Catherine, I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken and mushroom casserole recipe!
I made this tonight and we all enjoyed it very much. My husband thought it would be good with wine. So when I make it again I will replace the lemon juice with white wine. ☺ Marnie
I’m happy to hear both you and your husband enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review Marnie!
My Husband and I loved this recipe
froze the leftovers which we had to night. It was delicious, thank you for posting this recipe.
You’re welcome Maureen! I’m glad to hear how much you both enjoy the recipe….even the next day! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
We tried this recipe and I must say it was delicious! I was worried about the unsalted butter vs the salted. I decided to use less salt in the recipe and it came out great. I was wondering if it would be OK to cut the chicken into smaller pieces. We will be making this often!!
Hi Linda! I’m so happy you loved the recipe and thank you for the great review! 🙂 You can cut the chicken into smaller pieces. They are just easier to sauté when they are larger and that part of the process goes quicker but they can be cut smaller.
The whole family loved this recipe! I added spinach and it was delicious!
Yay! I’m happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does. Thanks for sharing your great review Francine!
Sorry Natasha
A fan but this recipe lacks flavor in the chicken. Followed recipe to a t. Went back and read recipe to make sure I did not leave something out. Did not and family agreed it needed some spices. I am sure I can doctor up but not worth the time, ingredients or effort.
Will move on to a different recipe by you as we do find so many that are great. Thanks
Hi Kathy, this is one of our most popular recipes and I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you make sure to use fresh lemon juice – it adds great flavor. Also, did you season the sauce to taste before pouring it over the chicken? Under-seasoning is most often the culprit. I hope that helps and I’m so glad you have enjoyed our recipes 🙂
This was very good. I halved the recipe because I’m the only one who likes mushrooms. I also added a little white wine. Love how easy it is and that I had all the ingredients on hand. Thanks.
You’re welcome Sherrie! I’m glad you enjoy this delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
If I were to substitute chicken tenderloins , about how many should I use for this recipes? Any suggestions?
Hi Mariya, I would use the same amount by weight and it’s even easier since you don’t have to cut them. Follow the instructions as usual.
I want to try this recipe, but, I don’t like, nor do I buy unsalted butter. Can I use regular butter?
Hi Linda, I think it would still work fine with regular butter :).
I am excited to make this! However, I have a dairy sensitivity. Will it still be delicious without the milk or cream? Any recommended substitutes for the milk/cream? Huge thanks! Alli
Hi Alli, I haven’t tried a dairy free substitute but one of our readers, Reba, wrote in with the following: “Absolutely delicious! Even after I substituted almond milk for cream since my mom can’t eat dairy – it was extremely tasty!”
Increase the Chicken broth or exchange with some White or Marcella Wine.
Try Rice or Almond flour to remove the gluten.
Great tip Thomas, thanks for sharing!
Just thinking out loud, I might toss in broccoli florets instead of the parsley sprigs for greenery / presentation, and to eat along with the dish.
Yum, that sounds delicious! Please let us know how it turns out Thomas!
Hello Natasha! I made this recipe and it was well loved. I plan on adding this to my weekly rotation. I have one question though. I found the breast meat to be a little dry and not as moist even with all the wonderful sauce. Do you know if boneless skinless chicken thighs would work better?
Thank you,
Jacquelyn
Hi Jacquelyn, with the lengthy baking time the breast meat should be very tender and juicy. Did you make sure to cover it tightly with foil before placing it in the oven? Or maybe the baking pan was too large – if the ingredients are too spread out in the pan, the chicken won’t be submerged in sauce and could cause it to be more dry. I hope that helps. Yes, I do think thigh meat would be great here 🙂
Yes, I did cover with foil tightly and it was a 9×13 pan size. It smelled wonderful while cooking. Meat was soft but just seemed like it was covered in the sauce and not as moist but it was delicious none the less. I will try the thighs and see if it’s any different.
Thank you!
This sounds really yummy! I don’t like lemon juice and I am a super taster so I would taste it. I am going to leave that out. Otherwise, I am thinking this will be a really yummy recipe. Now I just need to buy some mushrooms because I used them all to make some yummy homemade cream of mushroom soup and some half and half.
I hope you enjoy the recipe Gail, please let me know what you think!
I did it today and my family loved thx!!!!
You’re welcome Robert! I’m happy to hear that, thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
Will this recipe work without using flour on chicken?
Hi Vicky, I haven’t tested it that way but if you are looking for a gluten free option, my sister has tested this with gluten free flour with great results. 🙂