My aunt made this for Sunday supper and the whole pan disappeared fast. It tastes incredible and is fork tender using just 4 ingredients.

This oven baked 4-ingredient Amish chicken and carrot casserole is exactly the kind of Sunday supper my aunt used to slide onto the table—simple, cozy, and somehow always gone in minutes. It’s a very Midwestern, farmhouse-style recipe: no fancy steps, just pantry basics that bake together into fork-tender chicken, sweet roasted carrots, and a buttery, savory sauce. Everything goes into one white casserole dish and the oven does the work, which makes it perfect for busy weeks when you still want something that tastes like it came from a grandma’s kitchen.

This casserole is a full meal on its own, but I love serving it with fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to soak up the extra sauce. A simple green salad or steamed green beans on the side keeps things fresh and balances the richness. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are also great if you’re feeding a crowd and want to stretch the meal a bit—my family always uses them to mop up every last bit from the pan.

Servings: 4

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch white casserole dish or similar baking dish.

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. This helps the skin brown and keeps the sauce from getting watery.

Spread the carrot pieces evenly over the bottom of the casserole dish to form a bed for the chicken.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and dry onion soup mix until completely combined and no dry spots remain.

Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the carrots in a single layer, skin side up, leaving a little space between each piece if possible.

Spoon the sour cream and onion mixture over the chicken and carrots, then use the back of the spoon to spread it so most of the chicken and carrots are coated. It does not have to be perfect; the sauce will melt and spread as it bakes.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. This helps the chicken and carrots steam and become very tender.

After 35 minutes, carefully remove the foil. Baste the chicken and carrots with some of the sauce from the pan using a spoon.

Return the uncovered casserole to the oven and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C), the carrots are fork tender, and the top is lightly golden and bubbly.

If you’d like a deeper color on the chicken skin, you can switch the oven to broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.

Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This helps the juices settle and makes the sauce a little thicker. Serve the chicken and carrots hot, spooning plenty of the creamy onion sauce over each portion.

If you prefer white meat, you can swap the thighs for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts; just check for doneness a bit earlier, as they can cook faster. For extra color and sweetness, use a mix of regular carrots and rainbow carrots. If you like a slightly tangier sauce, replace 1/4 cup of the sour cream with mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt (still keeping the total at 1 cup). To cut down on fat, you can use light sour cream, though the sauce will be a bit thinner. This recipe is easy to prep ahead: assemble the casserole up to the point of baking, cover, and refrigerate up to 12 hours; add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time if it goes into the oven cold. Leftovers reheat well in the oven, covered with foil at 325°F until warmed through, and are great shredded over rice or tucked into a warm pita with some of the creamy carrot sauce.