French Chicken Casserole
The coziest, most wholesome meal. With golden brown chicken, tender potatoes, white wine, fresh rosemary + thyme.
Say hello to the coziest meal of 2020.
Perfectly-seared golden brown chicken thighs, tender baby golden potatoes, juicy mushrooms, and an herb-wine sauce that you can basically guzzle down.
It’s perfection on a crisp, 55 degree Fall day – or let’s be honest, any day of the week.
Serve with the leftover white wine for a complete meal.
Substitution notes
- If you prefer white meat, breasts can be substituted.
- Mushrooms can be omitted completely if it’s not your thing. No judgment here.
- No thyme or rosemary? Dried herbs or other seasonings like oregano and/or Italian seasoning would also be great in this.
French Chicken Casserole
The coziest, most wholesome meal. With golden brown chicken, tender potatoes, white wine, fresh rosemary + thyme.
Ingredients:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
- 3 large shallots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound baby gold potatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add mushrooms, shallots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-7 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and potatoes. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Place into oven and bake until potatoes are tender and chicken has completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 40-45 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Did you Make This Recipe?
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I made this and it was delicious. We had something come up so I had to refrigerate everything before putting it in the oven, but it didn’t seem to effect the dish at all. A new favorite.
After reading the reviews, I decided to give this dish a try, following the recipe exactly. I did this because I’ve been a cook since I was a kid (I’m now 71) and I was curious about the sauce because the ingredients didn’t look to me like it would be as heavenly as so many reviewers had mentioned. And, for me, it wasn’t heavenly. It was bland. After eating one serving, I went back to the pan and went to work on the sauce: I added the juice of half a lemon, more salt, about a tsp or more of dried thyme, and none of those did much to deepen the flavors until I added about 1/8 c. dry cooking sherry. The sherry finally kicked the sauce up to a level that satisfied my taste and which I’d be comfortable serving to guests.
As with others, the potatoes didn’t fully cook within the 40-45 minute time frame. I let the dish cook in the oven for an extra 15 minutes and the potatoes were edible but still not entirely done. I regretted not following a comment by another reviewer to fry the chicken longer in the first step to give it a crunch. The sauce was also runny, which made the chicken skin too moist. I don’t mind runny sauces, but since flour is added early on to thicken the sauce, it’s pretty clear that 3 tblsp. isn’t enough for this dish. Next time I’ll add another tblsp. of flour, or swap it with corn starch.
I plan to let it settle in the refrigerator tonight and reheat it on a low oven (170°F) tomorrow to see if I can get the potatoes to a better consistency and to find out how the sauce tastes after it’s rested.
All-in-all, a decent dish, but not a stellar dish as written. Or maybe I missed something. I’m not sure why my effort didn’t turn out as happily for me as this recipe has for others. But it was worth giving it a try.
Seriously delicious!
I only had 4 thighs and worked with what I had (instead of cream, a dash of cashew milk / dry herbs instead of fresh / quartered red potatoes). Next time I might try adding cauliflower and carrot chunks to get the most out of that amazing sauce!
Thanks so much 🙂
I’ve been wanting to make this dish for a while and finally made it today! It was phenomenal! So delicious. I made two small changes: precooked potatoes to 1/2 way done and reduced the flour to 2 tbsp. This amazing dish will be definitely a new shining star in my cooking repertoire.
Great flavours, but I would skip the flour next time. The addition of the flour makes the sauce more like a gravy and less like a light cream sauce. Also, I personally find that the addition of thickeners such as flours and corn starches sometimes detract from flavours. Otherwise, it’s a great combination of ingredients for a hearty but not overly indulgent main course.
So amazing!!! I’m doing keto so I replaced potatoes with cut up cauliflower… so good!! I loved the different flavors, instead of flour I used some almond flour instead as well and worked perfectly fine.
I’ve made this twice in the past 2 months and it was a success each time. My problem is I have a family of 6, and this is not enough to feed all of us, let alone have any leftover for a 2nd serving.
At STEP 7 assuming I have doubled the amount of chicken, can I transfer everything into a casserole dish to bake, or to a slow cooker (and for how long in a slow cooker)? Thank you.
Absolutely delicious. I made with chicken tenderloins because that’s what I had. I’ll be making this again.
Amazing! I only used 4 thighs, so I decreased the potatoes by about half (my kids won’t eat potatoes except in fry form), and I decreased the chicken broth by a cup since I read some thought it was thin. It was still a bit thin so I added a corn starch slurry (1 TBS corn starch and 2 TBS warm water) and added that after the chicken was done (took the chicken out and covered, added back when it was all mixed). Perfect! The flavor was amazing. I did cut the baby yellows in half to make sure they were cooked enough and they were perfect. Delicious dinner!
So amazing!!! I’m doing keto so I replaced potatoes with cut up cauliflower… so good!! I loved the different flavors, instead of flour I used some almond flour instead as well and worked perfectly fine.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Can I just say, this recipe is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS? It’s simple, bursting with flavors, and so simple to make! Taking the advice of others, I made mashed potato and also paired it with a side of baby bok choy and brown jasmine rice. My husband and I devoured it. The sauce is so decadent, so flavorful, and on par with similar dishes, we’ve had at restaurants, except with a more homey feel — perfect for a cold November day.
My husband’s already asking when the next time I’ll be making this again!
Substitutes: I didn’t have any shallots or white wine, so I subbed with half an onion (diced) and 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine.
Made this with double mushrooms, whole chopped onion and double butter, since hubbies on low carb. GLORIOUS!!! I served mine with some pasta I picked up in Italy. Just fabulous! Keep them coming, please!!!
My whole family loved it! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
Amazingly delish! Thanks for yet another great recipe! Where can I order your cook book?
So good and easy to make! I will be making this again. I’m not a fan of mushrooms so I omitted those. Next time around I will probably add carrots and make sure we have some warm crusty bread to dip into the sauce and clean our plates!
Just made this for some friends for dinner. Everyone raved about it. I followed the recipe to the tee except I added a 1/4 cup of grated parmesan/Romano cheese at the very end to give it a extra kick on flavor. I’m a retired chef that’s been cooking for over 25 years. This recipe is fabulous. Kudos to you.
I made this recipe with changes but basically the same cooking process. It was delightful!
Totally delicious in every way!! I added butternut squash cubes that were already partially cooked with the potatoes and it was delicious indeed!
SO simple to make, and SO freaking delicious. Made this for my husband and my parents, jokes were made about slurping up the last of the tasty sauce with straws. I subbed white button mushrooms for cremini since my local grocer doesn’t carry those and used Chardonnay for the white wine. YUM and a great meal for guests!
Very tasty – nice and comforting home style meal, gravy sauce is yummy over rice!
I’m back.
Yes, again.
We still have the flavor
of this in our mouths and
the house still smells like
it’s still cooking.
Follow the recipe!
This was perfect. AGAIN.
I’ve been following damn
near every recipe you’ve ever
put out and I’m telling you,
you are just amazing.
This dish was delicious and
I will make it over and over again.
Wow.
Loved this recipe as did my daughter and two grandsons. I thought I would lick the plate it was that good. I wasn’t sure
which type of plate to use as it is rather stew like but that was solved by using shallow soup bowls. This will definitely be in our meal rotation. My son in law was off hunting in eastern WA and when he saw the photo of our dinner he wanted to come home! I’m 80 years old and I still love new recipes and cooking for my family.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I used 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs and 16 oz of mushrooms. I also pre-cooked the potatoes in the microwave before throwing them in the pot to make sure they got cooked. Lastly, I added a couple of teaspoons of chicken Better than Bullion at the end instead of salt. I will definitely make this again but will add more chicken (3 pounds) and serve it over mash potatoes to soak up the sauce. The sauce is fantastic!
Sooo good!! Definitely going to make this again!!
I made this last night and it was such a big hit with my family. Thanks for this lovely recipe. Planning to make it again next week.
Made this last night for dinner and, boy, was it tasty!! The only changes I made were to slice thickly, rather than halve, the mushrooms, and to use dried herbs rather than fresh (it’s what I had). Next time (because there will be a next time), I’ll probably use boneless skinless thighs and maybe make a cornstarch/water slurry to thicken the sauce a bit. This recipe as made, however, was damn delicious!
Another winner! I make a ton of your recipes, and this was one of my favorites. From start to finish the whole process of prepping and creating this meal was exactly what I needed after a long day of work. Poured a glass of wine, turned on some music, and before I knew it, had a beautiful, and tasty dinner. Your recipes are always so flavorful and I often have most ingredients on hand. Thank you for sharing and also, we love Butters and Cartman!
This was bar none the best sauce ever. Great dinner on a Monday no less. Thanks for sharing. Wish I could post a pic. It was so pretty.
The flavors are delicious but I did have some issues with my results and wonder if I messed up somewhere. I used four large bone in thighs so that is the only difference I made. Everything else I followed as written. As a casserole I expected the sauce to be thicker. I ended up with broth.
Even though the instructions don’t specify, I left it uncovered. The potatoes didn’t cook all the way through and that may be my fault because I figured cutting the potatoes into quarters would have been the better size. And my potatoes may have been larger than what is in the picture.
Still, really good flavor. Maybe serving over mashed potatoes could work? Definitely worth trying again.
I love the recipe, its not hard to cook and I usually have all the ingredients. I always serve it with crusty bread and beans. Its perfect just the way it is.
This was extremely delicious. The only thing I did differently was swapped out fresh herbs for dry. The sauce is sooo good. Worth it to get the wine. I believe it really did elevate the flavor. Oh and I used boneless skinless thighs since that is what I had.
This is my new dinner party recipe. My repertoire needed a boost and this “casserole” is a great addition. When I think of casserole I think of meat, starch and probably a canned soup gravy. This dish tastes much more complicated than that. The bone-in skin-on chicken thighs make for tasty chicken. The sauce is rich but easy to digest. The herbs and celery add depth of flavor.With the addition of potatoes and mushrooms, you have a one dish meal. I served mine with steamed asparagus and crusty french bread. Well worth the time required to chop and dice. Yum.
Wow, this will be my go to chicken recipe. So much flavor and since I grow my own thyme and rosemary no need to run off to the market to pick up those ingredients. So quick and easy for making a delicious meal.
Per usual – this recipe did not disappoint! The chicken was moist, the potatoes were perfect, and the sauce was just the right kind of rich! I made a few “convenient” adjustments: I used dried thyme, i didn’t have rosemary, we don’t like celery, and I thickened the sauce after baking with a cornstarch slurry. I made it all up in a skillet but transferred to a baking dish. The removed the chicken, transferred the sauce back to the skillet and added the cream and then thickened. Thanks for another great meal!!! Posted pics on insta!
Wow, amazing, Chungah.
This look amazing, i am going to make it next weekend. One question please, if i dont have black pepper, is it ok to use green pepper?
This is a very nice dish. It had a delicious flavor and was fun to make. I need to sear the chicken a little longer next time. I used half and half instead of heavy cream but I don’t think it hurt anything. Very good dish!
Hi, this dish looks delicious. I don’t have an oven at home, however, and was wondering is this could just be done on stove-up? Thank you!
Tiffany
Phlanx’s Marketing Specialist
I think that you could parboil the potatoes and cover the skillet and finish it on the stovetop. I’ve done similar dishes that way
Just made this- WOW !!!
This is so tasty! I took advice from another reviewer and made homemade mashed potatoes instead of using the small potatoes in the dish… and rather than put the skillet in the oven I allowed it to continue to cook on the stovetop covered since I didn’t add in the potatoes. Thank you so much for sharing this marvelous recipe!
Delicious! Reminds me of thanksgiving almost! I boiled my potatoes a bit in the sauce before sticking it in the oven. I didn’t add the cream at the end, and I don’t think you’ll miss it honestly!
Next time I’m going to keep the garlic whole in smashed cloves instead of minced. And I might add more wine because I love a strong wine flavor in my gravy. Perhaps a fresh squeeze of lemon on the chicken to add some brightness and acid.
This is 100% going into my monthly rotation.
This looks amazing and am planning to make this weekend! Quick question, are we supposed to cover the pan once it’s in the oven?
Made a few substitutions with what I had on hand. Boneless thighs dried oregano pinch of thyme, onions cut fine browned in butter, mushroom soup and left out cream, whole potatoes cut up. Added carrots julienned. The wine makes the gravy very special. Made in Dutch oven,, lowered the temp,, and baked covered longer.. Making again for neighbor. Wanted to try 1st, there is none left. Shared recipe with other family members.
Delicious and filling!!
I used these subs bc I didn’t want to go shopping for things I already had, and it worked perfectly fine:
4 breasts + 5 drums
3 large russet potatoes, quartered
Regular white mushrooms, halved
1 large yellow
Yellow onion*
This was delicious!!! I saved every little bit of the sauce and put it over rice and broccoli the next day for lunch!!!
Delicious. Mushrooms, potatoes, and sauce were so addicting
Made this for my boyfriend and we both loved it!!
I made the French Chicken Casserole this past weekend and it was wonderful. The flavors in this dish were so amazing and with a crusty loaf of bread, this was the perfect dish for a dreary fall day here in Indiana.
Always enjoy your recipes and this was a 5-star winner. Thank you!
The sauce is delicious and flavorful. If I make it again, I think I would skip the baby potatoes and either make mashed potatoes or rice for the yummy sauce to soak into.
This recipe is so delicious that I know I would make it for company. H sauce is addicting. It’s not difficult to make and you can customize it to your likes and dislikes. I’ve sent this recipe to friends and family.
So you mean to say we will put the heavy cream after the chicken is done frm baking?
Thanks
All your meals are delicious!! Thank you for sharing!!
This was “damn delicious” and I even forgot to buy the mushrooms! The sauce is so delicious. My only issue was the potatoes didn’t cook all the way through. Next time I’ll microwave them for a couple of minutes before adding to the dish and putting in the oven. My husband and I just about licked our plates 🙂
so I was not sure about it being covered or not, I used a dutch oven since that’s what it looks like was used on the photo even though it said skillet? and I covered it to be sure but that was a mistake because it didn’t reduce 🙁 I also had to cook it a bit longer to get the potatoes and carrots cooked, perhaps because it was a dutch oven?
Mine wasn’t creamy and more soupy even after leaving it lid off in the oven at 356 for another 30 minutes. :/
It was really good though, did take me a little longer to prep but that’s the case with every new recipe.
Made it last night with boneless chicken thighs in a 5 quart dutch oven–excellent! Substituted half and half for cream. Potatoes cooked perfectly. I will make this again. Just reading the ingredients and you know you can’t go wrong! Thank you!!!
did you use boneless/skinless thighs?
Making this tomorrow night with some simple sauteed French green beans! (see a theme here???)
Looks yummy! Is there a white wine you recommend?
My family loved it! It was a hit. It was a little time consuming for a week night dinner but everyone loved it.
I haven’t made this yet but it looks delicious. I just wanted you to know how much I love your site. I always check your site first when looking for a new recipe or for instant pot hints. Thank you so much!!
I tried the recipe,and I loved it!!
Definitely on my weekend dinner menu. Thanks..