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
How can I use cream of chicken in this recipe?
Hi Blasilla, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Made this a few times. Made it this time with chicken thighs. Soo delicious!
I’m glad it was a hit! Thank you for your great feedback, RB.
This was phenomenal. I made it for the first time for dinner guests. It was it super easy to make, and now everyone thinks I’m an amazing cook!
That’s so great! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hello Natasha, love this! It is delicious! The gravy did not thicken up. What should I do? Thank you, Debra
Hi Debra, consider if any substitutions were made? The sauce won’t be very creamy in the pan but it will thicken up after the casserole is baked.
I notice in your ingredient list – Better than Bouillon. What kind is it and how do you use it. Can I use regular can chicken stock. Thank you.
Tory
Hi Tory, most grocery stores carry it; we purchase it at Costco. Chicken broth and chicken stock are interchangeable, so you can get either one at most grocery stores. We use better than Bouillon past mixed with water to make fresh broth. We have a picture of the jar we used in the recipe post. I hope you love the recipe!
This recipe was absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. My family loved it so much. Served it over rice and next time will try mashed potatoes. Thank you Natasha. 🌹
That’s so great, Angela! Thank you for sharing that!
Natasha, could I use FF half and half rather than regular?
Hi Susan, I think that will work well too.
Hi Natasha,
How would leeks do in place of the onion?
Hello Susan, I imagine that will work too!
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. My husband said it was definitely a keeper to make it again. Natasha your recipes and the videos make cooking easier. Keep them coming!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Whole family loved it and insisting on adding this meal to our traditional family dinner recipe book 🙂 thank you. I always enjoy your videos .
You’re very welcome! I’m glad your family loved this recipe.
This was amazing!!!! The chicken was so soft. Definitely a new favourite!
Fantastic! I’m glad you loved this recipe, Cassandra. Thank you!
Fantastic! This has moved into place with Salisbury steak crockpot and cheeseburger gnocchi recipes that I make monthly. rich delicious, flavorful. wonderful recipe.
Yay, awesome! I’m very happy to hear that you loved this recipe, Beth.Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful comfort food! The chicken is so tender. I also love all the mushrooms. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Natasha for another great recipe. I made it today and added frozen peas! This is a keeper especially on a day that is cold out🤗❤️
The perfect meal for a cold day.
Made this recipe yesterday and it was delicious. One problem….after baking the butter in the sauce separated and came to the surface in some places. why would this happen?
Thank You
Hi Yvonne, a small amount of separation is normal and if you give the sauce a quick stir, it will incorporate back into the cream sauce. If you see a ton of separation, consider if there were any substitutions made in the ingredients?
It’s a Keeper! The chicken is sooo tender, melts in the mouth. I was debating whether to add more seasoning as I was afraid it might be too bland. But the simple seasonings do develop more in the oven. Natasha, have you ever added white wine to this? Would it be added before the mushrooms to encorporate the pan crisps vs scraping them out? My dish looked very white vs Youtube golden yellow, so I added saffron to my rice to add colour.
Hi Ariane, I haven’t tried it with white wine but some of my readers have reported great results with white wine. One of my readers wrote: “White wine goes very well in this recipe as well as a generous among of grated gruyere cheese. However, I do suggest that you use heavy whipping cream only if you are adding wine. Otherwise the sauce may curdle.” There were several others that said they added a splash of white wine with great results.
Can I use boneless pork instead of chicken
Hi Barbara, that should work, here’s what one of our readers wrote: “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.” I hope that helps.
Would I be crazy to just use heavy cream without thinning it with milk??
Hi Birdie, I haven’t tested that but you may need a little more or it might be too thick.
Currently making this during the ” snow storm”, I cannot wait to see how it tastes! I would like to serve it with white rice which I am making separately… although for future reference any recommendations on adding rice to the chicken and sauce before baking? Love your videos and recipes!!!! Never too complicated but fresh , simple ingredients! You are amazing! I just made your stuffed pork loin the other day and it was fantastic!
Hi Renee, I haven’t tried that to make a suggestion but I do have a really great chicken and rice and also an instant pot chicken and rice you might love.
I made this tonight, it turned out great. Is there a way to make it keto friendly?
Thanks for sharing that with us, Agnes. I haven’t tried making a keto-friendly version of this recipe yet. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I substituted half the amount of flour for almond flour and mixed together. It seemed to do okay, so I imagine if you were to use all almond flour, you’d be fine!
Hi Natasha!
Thank you and your family for all of your hard work! Your recipes are always huge hits, including this one!
PS – I’m not even a fan of mushrooms (at all) and OMG was this delish
Please keep posting new recipes and videos! As a visual learner it really helps 🥰
Hi Lauren, you are very welcome. I will surely post more new recipes for you all!
Made the Chicken Gloria – it was delicious. Realized that I didn’t have heavy cream or half and half. I used plain milk and then made a little slurry. Perfect!
Nice, I’m glad that worked very well! Thanks for your good feedback, Annie.