French Chicken Casserole
This French Chicken Casserole is a rustic one-pot dish featuring crispy browned chicken thighs simmered in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce with mushrooms, bacon, and shallots. The result is a rich, savory bistro-style dinner that feels elegant yet comes together easily in under an hour.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Deep Skillet
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Chef’s Knife
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs
- 4 slices bacon
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, diced
- 0.5 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs skin-side down until crispy and golden, about 5–7 minutes. Flip briefly, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté until softened and lightly browned.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits.
- Whisk together the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and heavy cream. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir gently.
- Return the chicken thighs to the pot skin-side up. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme and allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Do not submerge the chicken skin in the liquid while simmering. Keeping the skin above the sauce preserves the crisp texture while the meat cooks gently in the flavorful broth.