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 made this casserole a few times for family and friends and each time it has gone down a treat! My young grandsons love it too.
In UK we dont have half and half and wondered if one can use single cream instead of mixing thick cream with milk which I did.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing this with me, Vimla!
This was so delicious but I might have done something a bit wrong, the gravy didn’t seem as thick as yours was and there were some oily patches that took awhile to mix into the gravy. I definitely need to add more mushrooms too lol but my husband is still raving about it lol
I’m so glad you still enjoyed it!
I absolutely loved this dish! I never comment on anything but this dish was worth the praise!. My entire family loved it as well! I did add mozzarella cheese on top cause I’m a lover of cheese and good creamy dishes. Way to go! Making it again tonight.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, it sounds like you have a new favorite!. I’m all smiles!
The first time I made it, I didn’t wipe the saute pan between the chicken and the mushroom onion saute – just added more oil. The second time I did and it was less oily. Also I used Wondra Flour to
Thank you for sharing that, Lynn!
I was happily surprised by how this recipe turned out! I wad hosting a big dinner party and was worried I wouldn’t have enough food, so I made this chicken casserole as a last minute addition…and what a great choice! 😀
It was a hit amongst guests. The sauce was delicious, and the chicken, soooo tender!
I’m adding this recipe to my list of favourites…and so should you! Excellent meal to feed a crowd (and impress them) 😉
That’s so great! Thank you for that wonderful review!!
There is nothing more nerve racking than cooking for a chef. He does’t eat seafood, his wife doesn’t eat beef or pork. That left chicken. I search the web for a good chicken casserole dish, and came across Natasha’s recipe. I read many of the positive comments and decided to take a risk. The verdict. The chef and his wife took leftovers home with them. But, most pleasing (and important of all), my darling husband loved it too. I enjoyed it also, although it took me more than 30 minutes to prep. I did not like cutting the chicken in strips. I am adding this dish to my “favorite” recipes file.
Wow! That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
My mother used to make this when I was a kid. 10 years ago I decided to go vegan, so it’s been a looong time since I’ve had this. I decided to make a vegan version, based off of this recipe and WOW, it tasted exactly the same! I couldn’t believe it. I obviously just swapped the usual ingredient with vegan versions which can be found pretty much everywhere now. It was really easy. I always wondered how my mother used to make this, so finding this recipe helped so much! Thank you! It brings back so much nostalgia.
You’re so welcome! I thank you for sharing this with me! I love that this brought back good memories!!
Hey Natasha! Is it also possible to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes, that would work 😬. Several people reported great results with chicken thighs
I know it says to taste but just to help me judge…much salt and pepper do you, Natasha, add at the end of step 4?
Hi Dellan, it really depends on whether you are using low sodium or regular chicken broth. I start with 1/2 tsp and add more to taste.
Thanks for the recipe Natasha. Love your technique. I had neither chicken broth nor lemons and had shiitake mushrooms vs. white. Made this anyway with water instead of broth and it was awesome! I think brandy would be great to deglaze too. Definitely use the parsley garnish as it really pretties it up at the end.
I’m so happy you were able to make this work! Thank you for your feedback!
This recipe is excellent and very much a crowd pleaser. I made it as the recipe states including the use of homemade chicken stock which makes this dish a winner but I did double the sauce as I served it with 2 pounds of fresh fettuccine. With 6 people I had no leftovers and zero sauce left.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Has anyone tried using coconut cream or alomdmilk as a replacement for half and half?
Hi Sara! 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!”
Made this the other night and it was so good!!! Can’t wait to make it again. For freezing, would you recommend baking it first and then freezing? Thanks!
I think freezing it would work great! One of my awesome readers, Terri, shared that it does work to freeze leftovers! She writes: “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 recipe is AMAZING!!! My family and I loved it!! It’s another one of Natasha’s great recipes! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that Teresa!! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Love love this recipe.
Hey! So do I! Thank you, Deborah!
Can I substitute the chicken broth with something in the recipe?
Hi Yuliya, there really isn’t a good substitute that will provide the same flavor except maybe a vegetable broth.
I can see why this is one of your top recipes. Just made it tonight, so easy and delicious. I love that you don’t use canned soups in your recipes. Try it you will like it. Makes 10 servings which is great as I won’t have to cook tomorrow since we have a family of 4. win win.
Leftovers are the best aren’t they Janet! & this is the perfect dish to eat up the next day as well. Thank you for sharing your great review with us!
Hey Natasha – made the chicken and mushroom casserole tonight and it was a big hit with the family, loved by each and everyone!! Thanks for sharing 😊
Hi Iris! I’m so happy you enjoyed that as a family. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this last night and the whole family loved it. It is really SOOOO GOOD!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Liz! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha. I am wondering if I can use vegetable oil for the browning step of the chicken. I just realized I am low on olive oil.
Thanks!
You can definitely try it with Vegetable oil.
Omg this was SO good! Thank you Natasha!
My whole family, including a 2 yr old and a 4.5 yr old just inhaled this! I didn’t have half and half, so used milk and sour cream instead. It’s fantastic!
Thank you Tanya for such a great review, thank you for sharing that with us 😀
Hello Natasha.
Thanks for great recipes I like love to cook from your website.
What would you recommend for freezing this. Would be okay if I put in the freezer without sauce or I will have to make and pour sauce in before freezing.
My only concern what if chicken will be more drie after keeping it frozen without sauce…
Thanks in advance:)
Nina, I haven’t tried freezing it but one of my readers, Nancy writes: “…I make a big recipe & freeze in portions for 2. If freezing, make sure you use Half & Half or whole milk or else it separates when reheating.”
I hope that helps. I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying our blog! 🙂