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
Hello! I look forward to trying this but a question – doesn’t the half and half curdle? I find it does in other recipes and that full fat heavy cream is preferred. Of course, to save calories and fat I would like to use the half and half. Thanks.
Hi Karen, it depends on the recipe. This one hasn’t given me any issues with curdling because there is flour in the recipe which thickens the sauce.
Thank you!
I made this tonight. Another keeper Miss Natasha! Love all the leftovers!
Glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Lynne. I hope that you love every recipe that you try!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Recipe is super easy follow.
I”m so glad you enjoyed that Nancy! Thank you for sharing that awesome feedback with me!
What can i use in place of lemon juice? I do not have any white wine or lime juice in the house. I have orange juice and vinegar. Will either of these work?
Hello Stacey, the chicken broth should work too but I highly recommend not to replace lemon as it adds so much flavor to this recipe. Please let us know how it goes!
Just made this, delicious! The chicken got so tender!
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us and providing a great review.
I made this creamy chicken casserole for my family last evening. While it was good and they enjoyed it they commented that is was somewhat bland. What would you recommend I use to give it a little punch of flavor?
Hi Mary Beth, make sure to add enough salt and pepper and don’t skip the lemon juice since those ingredients are what give this dish great flavor and not adding enough will cause it to be bland. Be sure you are adding salt and pepper to taste at the end of step 4.
Easy and yummy, I would increase the lemon slightly. I forgot to salt and pepper the chicken before dredging, and ended up needing to add more later… I served it over hashbrowns because I had some already made up – that was delicious with the crunch they added…
Thank you for sharing that with us! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I love your recipes I was wondering Can recipe being cook in a crockpot
Hi Karen, I haven’t experimented making this in a crockpot so I won’t be able to advise.
Can I make this recipe ahead and bake later???
Hi Penelope, I think that would work fine but you may need to bake just slightly longer since the casserole will be chilled going into the oven. I hope you love it!
Hi, I only have 2 big chicken breasts, should I just cut the recipe in half? Love all your recipes!
Hi Tara, I recommend using our recipe slider to alter the number of servings based on how much chicken you have.
I have made this before with the chicken. It is sooo good! However, today I decided to make it with thick, boneless pork ‘chops’. Everything was done exactly the same as the chicken recipe, even cutting the pork into 1″ thick strips. I did increase the cooking time to 1 hour to make sure it was cooked and tender. It tasted as good with pork as chicken!!!. Definitely a keeper recipe with chicken or pork.
That’s awesome Bev. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. It’s so helpful especially for those who would like to use pork chops instead of chicken.
I came here to ask about using pork chops instead
Thanks!
Hi Jen, I haven’t tested that but I think it would be a tasty experiment.
I have made this and several other of your recipes. Love everything and so easy to follow instructions. Thank you so much for your heart and sharing your love of cooking.
Pastor Howard Miller
You’re welcome, Howard. Thank you for that wonderful feedback.
I’m making this recipe this evening. I rated it 5 stars cause I know it will be delicious Your recipes are easy and taste so good. The ones I have made are so good. I don’t really like to cook, but your recipes are so easy that I enjoy it.
Aww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Helen!
I was wondering if you could substitute chicken thighs instead of breasts? I’m not a white meat fan and love the thighs. Cooking time?
Hi Debra, Yes, that would work. Several people reported great results with chicken thighs
Made this today! Tastes and looks so fancy. Yum!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that with me.
This is soooooooo good … it taste great . I used cut up baked cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes…loved it .Thank u Natasha for another great recipe..
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
This is a great recipe! I have made it about six times now and it works great for leftovers! I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then usually raid the fridge for other possible additions. Today, I had a red bell pepper and some fresh thyme available, so I added them.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me Tom.
This has become the new family favorite dinner in our house!
That’s so great!! I’m so glad you found a new family favorite.
Hello,
Could I make this ahead of time? Brown the chicken and put the rest of the dish together and keep in the fridge overnight? Then toss it in the oven the next day to cook the chicken and warm it up ?
Hi Nicole, You can 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.
I made this tonight delicious thank you so much for sharing all your recipes
You’re welcome, Patty! I’m so glad you’re liking our recipes!
It’s ridiculous how good this is! Takes some work but definitely super tasty! I tried it with chopped strips of chicken thighs and it turned out really good! And you can make big portions so good for potlucks or having it over multiple meals!
Hi Adam, that’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
If my oven is not working, but hob is, how do you suggest I cook all the ingredients together for the last 40mins – on the hob or how can I convert this to an Instantpot meal? Thank you!
Hi Denise, I checked the comments and it doesn’t look like anyone has tried that on the stove top. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.