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
If I add asparagus, should I cook first or do you think it would cook in oven?
Yes, you can add asparagus and keep the instructions the same.
Very good recipe!!
I made this Gluten Free last night using two thirds King Arthur GF flour cut with one third corn starch . For the sauce I did the same. The sauce did seperate just a bit during baking but once stirred was perfect. No one could tell the difference.
Thanks for sharing, Jeff! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I’ve made this a million times! Love it! I’ve doubled everything, and put two casseroles in the oven. Should I adjust the time?
Hi Andrea! I would keep an eye on them and allow them more time as needed. It may take a little bit longer.
Hi Natasha,
Do you think this recipe would work in an instant pot (but making the sauce still on the stove top)? If so, what would be the baking time? Thanks!
Hi Sam, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
If I make a half size of this, would you reduce the cooking time?
Hi Jeannie! I haven’t tried halving this recipe, but that should work! The cooking time will likely not change by much, but since you’ll have less ingredients you may need to slightly adjust the recipe.
This was sooooo delicious. My husband, picky 3 year old, and I loved it. Nothing left in the casserole dish. Didn’t have mushrooms so added the peas and kale I had in the fridge. Will become a staple in our house. Thank you!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
I made this tonight with some Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes. Omg it is too good. I ate way to much and I want more! That gravy recipe could be used for many things.
Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome, Keelie. Great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
This is an excellent recipe, Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes. I make this recipe quite often for get togethers with family and friends it always comes out delicious and always a hit!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it and I’m so glad it was a hit, Adriana!
Delicious, I wanted color so just added sone red bell pepper strips!! Love this recipe! Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mildred!
I guess I should review this recipe since I’ve made it about 500 times and is a household favorite! I love to prepare it while my son naps in the afternoon and then cook it later at dinner time. The chicken always comes out great and I also usually make a little extra sauce 😉
I’m so happy you found a favorite on my blog, Aly! Thank you so much for sharing that great feedback with me!
The flavor was very good. However, after baking for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, my sauce “broke”. I assumed this was due to the sauce getting too hot. Any thoughts as to why this happened? Since the cut up chicken is already partially cooked, can one reduce the cooking time or oven temperature and achieve the results you did?
Hi Cheryl, make sure you are not using a convection oven setting that would require a modification. Also, I recommend using an in-oven thermometer to check the temperature and see if the oven is heating correctly. Lastly, make sure not to swap out any ingredients which can cause the sauce to separate.
Thank you, Natasha! This is very helpful. Your recipes are great and videos are super helpful!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
As always, Natasha – excellent! Thank you for being the go-to for delicious, elegant, but easy recipes!!
Thank you for the review, Sarah!
We made this last night and really enjoyed it. I usually don’t care for chicken very much because it alway S seems to be dry, but this was nice and creamy. Thank you Natasha.
You’re welcome, AJ! I’m happy to know that you love this recipe.
My new favorite chicken recipe!!
Made extra gravy. Tried it the first night over wide noodles. Second night over toast points
Killer taste both ways.
Thx for sharing Natasha
That is great! You’re very welcome, so glad you enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing
I made this for the first time, so sorry but it was not very good. It needed some sort of spice. I agree with another person who said they would leave out flouring the chicken. I want to try this again any suggestions on how to make it more flavorful?
Hi Pam, the ingredients here are simple but it normally has tons of flavor. I wonder if under-seasoning could be the culprit.
I will give it another try. I think it needs more than salt and pepper. It had the garlic flavor for sure, but it needed something else to make I more flavorful, I love trying new recipes and was so excited to try this.
I added some tumeric to the seasoning of the chicken (1/2 teaspoon). And then 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder in the gravy, and 1/4 of garlic powder. (tumeric, ginger and lemon are a staple of moroccan cuisine, so you cant go wrong)
Then I sprinkled some dill on top before putting it in the oven.
I would like to recommend a seasoning that I LOVE!
BADIA
Poultry Seasoning
Southern Blend
This seasoning is fantastic and I use it one nearly everything!
Thank you for the suggestion.
I have made this recipe several times. It is soooo good! Equally good made with boneless pork cutlets. It’s on the menu for today with pork. No mushrooms on hand, so will take others’ suggestions and maybe add carrots, asparagus, peas. Always 5* for sure!
Thank you for sharing your awesome review, Bev!
I have already cooked chicken tenders. Do you think I can still make this dish, skipping to the oven step? Should I change the cooking time?
This recipe already uses cooked chicken tenders, I would still follow all the steps afterward and prepare in the same method. Since your chicken tenders are already cooked thoroughly, you may be able to cut a few mins off the baking time.
We liked this, but I’ll skip the dip in flour next time. Got a little goopy in some places, and just added mess to an otherwise simple process.
Sounds good, Michele. Thanks for sharing that with us!
I am planning to make this recipe next weekend for an after theatre dinner for a party of nine. If I prepare it ahead of time, should I cook it fully and reheat just before we eat, or is it better to prep it and leave it unbaked in the fridge until we are ready to eat. I have made it several times but have never needed it to wait. Such a favourite and a sure fire winner.
Hi Shirley, the way I make this ahead of time is to make and combine the chicken and mushrooms and refrigerate. The next day I make the sauce and bake. If you assembled the full recipe, yes that would work well to make it ahead, refrigerate and then reheat. This casserole reheats really well.
Thank you so much. I love this recipe and I know it will be a huge success with my friends.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I didn’t have fresh mushrooms so I used canned mushrooms and some rehydrated shiitake mushrooms for richer mushroom flavor (canned mushrooms are pretty flavorless) This dish was incredibly delicious. The proportions of the ingredients were perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing. I agree with a previous commenter, it is better than a restaurant
I’m so glad that worked out! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Debbie!