There are some recipes that earn a permanent place on the table because they are simple, thrifty, and dependable, and this oven baked 4-ingredient chicken is just that sort of dish. Great-aunt Margaret found it in a 1968 church cookbook and brought it out every September when the evenings started to cool and everybody was ready for hearty suppers again. It is the kind of Midwestern casserole-style main dish that turns a few pantry staples into tender chicken and rich gravy, with hardly any fuss at all.
This chicken is mighty good served over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or plain white rice so none of that savory brown gravy goes to waste. For vegetables, I like green beans, buttered carrots, or sweet corn on the side, and a simple applesauce or cranberry relish makes the plate feel especially homey. If you are feeding a Sunday crowd, a pan of biscuits or a loaf of soft sandwich bread fits right in.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Chicken Breasts Prescott
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and dry onion soup mix until smooth and well blended.
3. Arrange the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
4. Spread the soup mixture evenly over the chicken, covering each piece well.
5. Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling and lightly browned around the edges. The chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest part.
6. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon plenty of gravy over each chicken breast.
Variations & Tips
For extra color: If you want a little more browned finish on top, uncover the dish fully and let it bake the last 10 minutes without disturbance. That gives the sauce a deeper color around the edges and makes the whole pan look Sunday-dinner ready.
Mushroom-free swap: If cream of mushroom is not to your family's liking, cream of chicken soup works nicely too. You will still get a creamy gravy, just with a plainer flavor that lets the onion soup mix stand out a bit more.
Make it extra homey: Stir a spoonful or two of pan drippings into hot mashed potatoes, then top with the baked chicken and gravy. That is the way to stretch this dish into a full, comforting meal with hardly any extra work.
Keep the chicken tender: If your chicken breasts are especially large, you can cut them in half lengthwise for more even cooking. That helps prevent the outside from overcooking before the center is done.
Leftover tip: Leftover chicken and gravy reheat well the next day in a covered dish at low heat. It is mighty good spooned over toast, rice, or noodles for a quick supper that tastes like it took much more effort than it did.