Description
Comfort meets culinary magic in this creamy chicken casserole, where tender chicken nestles between layers of velvety sauce and golden breadcrumbs. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, promising a warm embrace that transports you straight to grandma’s kitchen with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) chicken breasts
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 pound (454 grams) white mushrooms
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
Dry Ingredients and Seasonings:
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (for coating chicken)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for sauce)
Fats and Liquids:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup half and half (or 0.5 cup milk + 0.5 cup heavy cream)
Instructions
- Dust chicken pieces with seasoned flour, ensuring even coating on both sides.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Sear chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding, cooking until golden brown on each side.
- Transfer browned chicken to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- In the same skillet, sauté sliced mushrooms and diced onions until tender and caramelized.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, releasing aromatic flavors.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour, creating a light roux and cooking until golden.
- Gradually pour in chicken stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Incorporate lemon juice and pepper, stirring to create a smooth sauce.
- Gently stir in half-and-half, simmering until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy.
- Pour sauce over chicken and mushroom mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
- Prep chicken evenly by patting dry before flouring to ensure a crispy, golden exterior that locks in moisture and flavor.
- Work in batches when browning chicken to maintain high pan heat, preventing steaming and achieving that perfect golden-brown crust.
- Choose low-sodium chicken stock to control salt levels, allowing you to adjust seasoning precisely during sauce preparation.
- For gluten-free adaptation, swap wheat flour with cornstarch or almond flour, maintaining the sauce’s creamy texture and rich consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 446
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 704 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 114 mg