Description
A comforting French Onion Chicken Casserole featuring caramelized onions, tender chicken, and cauliflower baked with creamy chicken soup and topped with melted cheddar or gouda cheese. Perfect for a hearty dinner served warm with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large yellow onions, sliced
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large cauliflower head, cut into bite sized florets
- 30 ounces cream of chicken soup (2 x 15oz cans)
- 1 cup cheddar or gouda cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Caramelize Onions: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 3 large sliced yellow onions and sauté, stirring frequently until golden and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare Cauliflower: While the onions cook, cut 1 large cauliflower head into bite-sized florets and place them in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
- Cook Chicken: Add the 1 pound bite-sized chicken pieces to the skillet with the caramelized onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is about half cooked and mostly no longer pink, around 8 minutes.
- Assemble Casserole: Transfer the chicken and onion mixture over the cauliflower in the casserole dish. Pour the 30 ounces cream of chicken soup evenly over the top. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake Casserole: Bake covered in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the cauliflower is fork-tender.
- Add Cheese and Finish Baking: Remove the foil, sprinkle the casserole with 1 cup shredded cheddar or gouda cheese, and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve Warm: Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm, ideally with crusty bread to enjoy the creamy sauce.
Notes
- To replace canned cream of chicken soup, blend 1 1/2 cups broth/stock with 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and 8 ounces softened cream cheese until smooth, then add to casserole.
- Cut cauliflower into evenly sized florets for uniform cooking.
- Stir onions frequently during caramelization to prevent burning; add a splash of water if they start to scorch.
- Partially cooking the chicken before baking helps lock in moisture and prevents overcooking.
- Let casserole rest 5-10 minutes before serving as it will be very hot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze wrapped in plastic and foil up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
