My grandmother made this beautiful 3 ingredient dinner every spring and it always steals the show at family gatherings.

Every spring when the chives popped up along the fence line, my grandmother would make this simple baked chicken for Sunday dinner. She always said the first green of the year deserved real cream and a hot oven, nothing fancy, just honest food that lets the season shine. This 3-ingredient creamy chive chicken goes straight into a glass casserole dish, bakes up golden on top with a bubbly white sauce around the edges, and comes to the table looking far fussier than it really is. It’s the kind of dependable, beautiful dish that quietly steals the show at family gatherings, just like it did at Grandma’s old farmhouse table.

This chicken loves simple company: buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes to catch that silky chive cream, and a pan of roasted carrots or green beans on the side. In spring, I like a crisp lettuce salad with radishes and a light vinaigrette to balance the richness. A basket of warm dinner rolls or sliced country bread is perfect for sopping up every last bit of sauce. For dessert, something homey and not too heavy—like a fruit crisp or a dish of vanilla ice cream—finishes the meal the way Grandma would have liked.

Servings: 4

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 to 2 1/4 pounds total)

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Set out a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish so it’s ready to go.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. This helps them brown a bit on top and keeps the sauce from getting watery.

Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the glass casserole dish, leaving just a little space between each piece so the cream can flow around them.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, pour in the heavy cream. Stir in the finely chopped chives until they’re evenly distributed and the cream is flecked with green. (If your chives are damp from washing, blot them gently so excess water doesn’t thin the sauce.)

Pour the chive cream evenly over and around the chicken breasts in the casserole dish. The chicken should be mostly surrounded by cream, with the tops just peeking out so they can turn a light golden color as they bake.

Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cream is thick, bubbly, and lightly golden around the edges. The exact time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts; they should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.

About halfway through baking, carefully spoon some of the hot cream over the tops of the chicken breasts to keep them moist and help them pick up more of that chive flavor. Slide the dish back into the oven to finish baking.

Once the chicken is done, remove the casserole dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, the cream will settle into a thick, spoonable sauce that clings nicely to the chicken.

To serve, spoon the creamy chive sauce from the bottom of the glass dish over each piece of chicken. The finished dish should look like golden-topped chicken breasts nestled in a thick, white, bubbly chive-flecked cream, just right for carrying straight to the table.

If you’d like a little extra richness, you can tuck a small pat of butter on top of each chicken breast before baking, though my grandmother usually let the cream do the work. For a slightly lighter version, you can swap part of the heavy cream for half-and-half; just know the sauce will be a bit thinner and less silky. If your family prefers dark meat, this same method works well with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs—just extend the baking time until they’re fully cooked and the skin is nicely browned. You can also add a quiet layer of flavor by scattering a few whole garlic cloves in the cream; they’ll soften and sweeten as they bake, but they do technically add another ingredient. If your chive patch is generous, stir in a mix of chives and a small handful of chopped fresh parsley for more color. Leftovers reheat gently in a low oven, covered, with a splash of extra cream to loosen the sauce. Serve the chicken sliced over noodles or tucked into a warm biscuit the next day for a simple, comforting lunch.