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This Chicken Gloria casserole is made from scratch using fresh mushrooms, cream, garlic, sherry, and deliciously melty cheese on top. Itβs total comfort food!
Love cheesy baked chicken recipes? Try myΒ Mozzarella Mushroom White Wine Chicken or this Creamy Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini.
Why youβll love it
This creamy chicken casserole is a cheesy delight that your family will request over and over. Itβs often made with cream of mushroom soup, but I prefer to make the cream sauce with fresh mushrooms from scratch without condensed soup. Itβs not that much more effort, and the flavor payoff is SO worth it! Trust me.
This classic American dish was invented by Betty Crocker, apparently. Itβs been in some families for at least a couple of generations. I think that itβs fun to revisit classics, so I put my own homemade spin on this one. And yes, if you were wondering, I totally did sing the β80s Laura Branigan song while I was working on this recipe.
Our kitchen thinks this creamy chicken and mushroom casserole is pretty glorious, but if you want a simplified version of this recipe, check out myΒ Creamy Sherry Chicken!
What youβll need
- Chicken β weβre using three large chicken breasts cut lengthwise
- Salt & pepper and flour β for seasoning the chicken and dredging
- Olive oil and butter β for pan frying the chicken and mushrooms
- Mushrooms β I chose cremini mushrooms for their meaty texture and earthy flavor. You could also sub in cut-up portobellos.
- Garlic β weβre using two cloves of garlic, but feel free to use more
- Sherry β dry sherry is best here
- Cream β heavy cream yields the most luxurious sauce. I donβt recommend using anything with a lower fat content since itβll be thinner, could curdle, and wonβt taste nearly as good
- Cheese β Muenster is the classic choice, but if you canβt find it, use Swiss Cheese, GruyΓ¨re, Fontina, Provolone, or even something like mozzarella. Basically, any mild-tasting easy melting cheese will work.
Can I sub the sherry for anything?
- You could try another fortified wine such as marsala or madeira. If youβre in a pinch, you could use a dry white wine. The sherry gives this dish its signature flavor, though, so I really donβt recommend omitting it or subbing it for something like chicken broth. It just wonβt taste the same.
- I donβt recommend using cooking wines either. They tend to be too salty and donβt taste as good as the real thing.
How to make Chicken Gloria
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Prep all ingredients. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so youβve got 6 thinner cutlets. Season each piece with salt & pepper and coat in flour. Pan fry each piece of chicken (do two batches) for a few minutes/side until lightly browned. Transfer chicken to a 9Γ13 or similar size baking dish.
SautΓ© the mushrooms in the same pan you cooked the chicken in, then add them on top of and around the chicken in the casserole dish. Again in the same skillet, make the sauce. It should reach a similar consistency to Alfredo sauce before you pour it into the baking dish.
Top the chicken with the cheese slices, and then cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then take the foil off and broil to brown the cheese. Enjoy!
Tips for success
- If you canβt find pre-sliced Muenster cheese, I recommend buying more than you think youβll need. Itβs quite difficult to slice it thin with just a kitchen knife, so youβll need to do slightly thicker slices. Thatβs what I did for this recipe.
- Itβs unlikely with the timing on this recipe that the chicken will be undercooked if you follow the steps, but itβs always a good idea to use an instant read meat thermometer to test whether chicken is done or not. Itβs safe to eat at 165F, and the chicken will continue cooking for a bit after you take it out of the oven.
- I use cooking tongs to quickly flip the chicken when searing it. I use this tool so often when cooking!
What to serve with Chicken Gloria
- Try pasta or Buttered Egg Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, or rice to soak up the cheesy sauce.
- Itβs quite rich, so some veggies would work great. Try my Roasted Green Beans like I plated in the photo.
- A side salad wonβt hurt either! One with romaine lettuce and this homemade Caesar Dressing would go perfectly.Β
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- For best results, reheat in the oven so the cheese melts again. Try 350F until itβs warmed through. You could also microwave it in small increments.
- I donβt recommend freezing leftovers because of the dairy content, but youβre welcome to try.
Will you make this Chicken a la Gloria recipe? Did you grow up with it? If youβve made this recipe or have any questions, leave me a comment/review below!
Chicken Gloria
IngredientsΒ
- 3 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup sherry dry
- 1.5 cups heavy/whipping cream
- 6 slices Muenster cheese see note
InstructionsΒ
- I recommend prepping all ingredients prior to getting this recipe started. Preheat your oven to 375F and position the rack in the top third of the oven.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you've got 6 thinner cutlets. Generously season both sides of each piece with salt & pepper and coat each piece in flour. Shake off any excess flour.
- Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes. Cook the chicken in two batches, lightly browning each piece of chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side (don't cook them completely or they'll overcook in the oven). Transfer the chicken to a 9Γ13 casserole dish as you finish browning each batch. You will likely need to add a splash more olive oil (about a tablespoon or less) to the second batch if the pan is dry.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Once it melts, add the mushrooms and cook them until they're seared and their water is released and cooked off (about 5 minutes). Take the skillet off the heat and transfer the mushrooms to the casserole dish (add them around and on top of the chicken as desired).
- In the same skillet, over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it melts, add the flour and garlic. Cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Pour in the sherry and then slowly whisk in the cream until the flour has dissolved and you've got a smooth sauce (and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan). Cook it for a few minutes (continue whisking) so it thickens up a bit (don't let it get too thick because it'll reduce more in the oven). Add in a bit of salt & pepper to the sauce.
- Pour the cream sauce over the chicken and mushrooms.
- Top the chicken with the cheese slices.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the foil off and broil for a few minutes until the cheese has browned (watch it carefully).
- Let the chicken rest for a few minutes and then serve.
Notes
- You may sub the sherry for marsala.Β
- You may swap the Muenster cheese for Swiss cheese or something else that melts well like Gruyere or even mozzarella.Β
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I used thighs instead of breasts and bella mushrooms instead of cremini bc thatβs all I had. I also didnβt do the flour dredge to save on carbs. It was still fantastic! Just had to cook it a touch longer. My 12 yr old son had THIRDS and my picky 7 year old ate it without question. Hard to believe thereβs only 1/2 stick of butter!
Glad it was a hit, Sandy!! π Thanks for your review!
Can I make this up the night before and then bake it the next day? I do a meal once a week for elderly parents.
Hi! As long as youβre not refrigerating partially cooked chicken (for food safety reasons), you should be ok. Hope they enjoy it!
I tried out this recipe and it was so good! Iβm pretty new to cooking but this recipe was easy to follow and turned out really well. I will definitely be trying more of these recipes.
Yay!! That makes me happy. Thanks for your review! XO
I made this recipe last night only I used Asiago cheese and we loved it! The sherry has perfect flavor for this dish! Will make this many more times. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You are very welcome, MaryJo!! Love the asiago idea!
Can I use fonseca white port instead of Sherry?
I think you should be ok, but I am not sure Iβve ever tried white port before.
Made this tonight for my husband and I. He is not a big chicken lover, but he really liked this dish. I used white mushrooms and Colby cheese, because thatβs what I had in the house. We were very happy with this dish. Thank you for sharing it.
Iβm thrilled to hear it, Andrea! Youβre very welcome! π
Is it possible to make this without the mushrooms? No one in my house likes mushrooms but it sounds really good?
I think you could leave them out, yes. I canβt really think of a sub, though.
Thanks!!
I would substitute with capsicum / peppers, small cauliflower florets or peas they would all work
I donβt know if youβll see this as you asked a couple years ago, but I also am not a mushroom fan so when I make this I swap them for caramelized cooked low and slow and it is absolutely fantastic.
Caramelized onions* π€¦π»ββοΈπ
I would like to do this in a crock potβ¦any recommendations? Looks amazing but Iβm home so little, would love to prep and make in in my slow cooker. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Hi PJ! I honestly have no idea how youβd do this in the slow cooker, unfortunately. There would be a lot of guessing without testing. Itβs pan seared and then baked and it has cheese and a cream sauceβ¦ all things that donβt easily lend themselves to slow cooking. Hereβs my slow cooker category, though, for tested slow cooker recipes: https://bit.ly/3OcAOo1
Wow is this ever good! The fresh mushroom add loads of flavor. I used white wine (chardonnay) for the sauce and it was fantastic. Very creamy. I only had mozza cheese that I had shredded so used that. Turned out perfectβ¦ glad there are leftovers for tonight π
Super impressive for guests as well! The recipe is much faster than you think. Cook chicken⦠then in same pan the mushrooms.. then the sauce. 3 steps.
Iβm so glad it was a hit!! π
You can do it in a slow cooker you just wouldnβt have the golden crust on the chicken. You would mix the cream with grated Parmesan or my preference pecorino. No layer of cheese on the top as the cheese is cooked in with the cream far tastier
I love this dish , it is delicious. I have made it several times now and everyone loves it.. even my elderly mum!! Who is very fussy!! π
That makes me happy, Laney! π