This cheesy chicken casserole is made with chicken, creamy mushroom sauce, and melted cheese on top! Chicken Gloria is a comfort food dish that’s easy to make and packed with flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This Dish
Tender and juicy chicken, flavorful creamy mushroom sauce, and gooey, melted cheese. What is not to love? This Chicken Gloria recipe is pure comfort food for the whole family. You can put it together even on busy weekdays. When I made it for the first time, my husband and I kept tasting the sauce by spoonfuls, it’s that good!
If you are wondering where the name comes from, and what is the origin of this dish, you may find that it is so popular that many home cooks made it and everyone knows someone that shared the recipe with them. Betty Crocker made it popular but it’s been around for decades.
Ingredients:
- chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets; keep in mind that one chicken breast equals two servings;
- mushrooms: white, cremini, or portobello can be used;
- Muenster cheese: this creamy cheese is a classic ingredient for this dish; you can use gouda or mozzarella as well;
- milk: the base for our sauce; half and half is even better as it is richer in flavor;
- broth: necessary for deglazing the pan and building flavor for the sauce;
- garlic: I used four cloves because we love garlic; measure it with your heart!
- onion: adds delicious flavor to the sauce;
- flour: necessary to dredge the chicken;
- cornstarch: if you are using milk or half and half, mix it with cornstarch to make the sauce thicker;
- thyme: the best herb in a mushroom dish; I used dried.
How to make Chicken Gloria?
- Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper and dredge each piece in flour.
- Melt butter and heat up oil in a skillet. Brown chicken on both sides.
- Add onions and garlic to skillet and saute until almost translucent. Add mushrooms and thyme and saute for a few minutes.
- Add broth and deglaze the pan. Add milk and cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened.
- Preheat the oven and arrange the chicken in a baking dish.
- Pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken. Top with slices of cheese.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes OR until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling on the edges.
What is Chicken Gloria?
This dish is a classic! Chicken Gloria has been made popular by Betty Crocker and made by many for decades. Pan-seared chicken is placed in a casserole dish, and topped with sauteed mushrooms, sauce, and cheese. The original version calls for condensed cream of soup and Muenster cheese for topping. I hope my from-scratch version will satisfy your taste buds because it’s so easy to make and the flavors are outstanding!
What is Muenster cheese and what can be used in its place?
Muenster cheese is a creamy, semi-soft cheese with a distinct orange rind. It has a mild, buttery flavor. I highly recommend buying it already sliced. It’s so creamy that it sticks to the knife when you try to cut it.
Great substitutes for Muenster cheese are gouda, mozzarella, Swiss cheese, asiago, or provolone.
What sides to serve with this dish?
Whenever I made a dish with a creamy sauce, I always want to serve it with mashed potatoes. It’s how I grew up and there is something so comforting about a big scoop of mashed potatoes with gravy or sauce. Chicken Gloria has a very tasty mushroom sauce so potatoes go perfectly with it. Other options are noodles (penne, wide egg noodles, etc.) or even rice.
A serving of steamed veggies, like broccoli, peas, or green beans makes it a complete meal for the whole family.
Helpful Tips!
- Use chicken thighs in place of chicken breast! They have more flavor thanks to dark meat. I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- When you are in a pinch, use condensed cream of mushroom soup. I have a recipe for a homemade version that is absolutely delicious!
- Use mozzarella or gouda for the cheese topping. You need a soft, creamy cheese that melts well.
- If there is any herb that goes well with mushrooms, it’s thyme. Don’t skip it in this dish. You will love the flavor!
- The classic dish calls for sherry wine to deglaze the pan. I prefer chicken broth. Use what you have on hand.
Recipe FAQs:
Any soft, creamy cheese works. Gouda and mozzarella are my favorite substitutes. They will melt beautifully over the chicken.
For the best results, prepare the chicken and sauce, cool them completely, and store them in the fridge separately. Pull them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Arrange chicken in a baking dish, mix the sauce with a splash of water for better texture (it will thicken as it refrigerates) and pour over the chicken. Top with cheese and bake.
You may have noticed, that I used whole milk and cornstarch to make the sauce thick and creamy. You can use heavy cream but milk makes it lighter.
To make this dish in a slow cooker, brown the chicken and arrange it on the bottom of the slow cooker. Make the sauce in a saucepan and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours, top with cheese, place the lid back on, and let it melt.
Any leftovers should be stored in a container with lid, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
More chicken dinner recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Chicken Gloria
This cheesy chicken casserole is made with chicken, creamy mushroom sauce, and melted cheese on top! Chicken Gloria is a comfort food dish that’s easy to make and packed with flavor.
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Ingredients
Instructions
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Mince garlic and chop onion. Slice mushrooms.
4 garlic cloves, ½ medium yellow onion, 6 oz white mushrooms
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Mix milk and cornstarch in a cup. Set aside.
½ cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
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Preheat oven to 350℉ and get your 13″ x 9″ baking dish ready.
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Place flour in a shallow dish.
¼ cup all-purpose flour
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Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper and dredge each piece in flour.
2 large chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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In a large skillet, melt butter and heat up the oil. Brown chicken on both sides. Remove from the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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Add onions and garlic to skillet and saute until almost translucent. If needed, add more butter to the skillet.
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Add mushrooms and thyme and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
½ teaspoon dried thyme
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Add broth and deglaze the pan (using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan so all cooked-on bits come off; this is flavor).
¾ cup chicken broth
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Give the milk and cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the skillet. Simmer the sauce until thickened.
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Arrange cooked chicken in your baking dish.
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Pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken. Using kitchen tongs, move the chicken around so the sauce has a chance to get onto the bottom of the dish too.
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Place slices of cheese on top of the chicken and sauce.
6 to 8 slices of Muenster cheese
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Bake the dish for 10 to 15 minutes OR until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs in place of chicken breast. They have more flavor thanks to dark meat.
- Use mozzarella or gouda for the cheese topping. You need a soft, creamy cheese that melts well.
- Any leftovers should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
- To make ahead: prepare the chicken and sauce, cool them completely, and store them in the fridge separately. Pull them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Arrange chicken in a baking dish, mix the sauce with a splash of water for better texture (it will thicken as it refrigerates) and pour over the chicken. Top with cheese and bake.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Nutrition
Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 865mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 598IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 359mg | Iron: 1mg