This is what my mother served every time the pastor came for Sunday dinner. Three ingredients and it looks like you spent all day cooking.

This is the kind of ‘company chicken’ my mother pulled out whenever the pastor or any important guest came for Sunday dinner. It’s almost embarrassingly simple—just three pantry ingredients and the oven does the work—yet it comes to the table looking like you’ve been fussing over it all afternoon. The magic here is canned condensed French onion soup, which bakes down into a glossy, caramelized coating around the chicken. This style of church-supper casserole started showing up in Midwestern community cookbooks in the 1960s and 70s, when convenience products were celebrated for helping home cooks entertain without stress. It’s still a smart, reliable way to get tender, flavorful chicken with almost no effort.

Serve this oven baked 3-ingredient company chicken straight from the casserole dish, spooning plenty of the onion-rich sauce over each piece. It’s especially good with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice to soak up the juices. Add a green vegetable for balance—steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or a crisp salad with a tangy vinaigrette all work well. Warm dinner rolls or crusty bread are nice for mopping up the caramelized onion sauce, and if you want to keep the Sunday-supper spirit, finish the meal with something classic and unfussy, like a fruit crisp or a simple pudding.

Servings: 4

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium pieces), trimmed

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an oval or 9x13-inch casserole dish with the oil or butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides so the chicken doesn’t stick.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Drying the surface helps them brown a bit better in the oven and keeps excess moisture from thinning the sauce too much.

Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish. It’s fine if they’re snug, but avoid overlapping so each piece cooks evenly and gets coated with sauce.

Pour the condensed French onion soup evenly over the chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well covered. Use a spoon to spread the onions around so they’re nestled both on top of and between the chicken pieces.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. This traps steam and helps the chicken stay tender and juicy while the soup begins to break down into a flavorful braising liquid.

Bake the covered dish in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. During this time, the chicken will begin to cook through and the soup will loosen and mingle with the chicken juices.

After 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil, watching for steam. Spoon some of the onion-rich sauce over the tops of the chicken breasts to baste them, then return the uncovered dish to the oven.

Continue baking, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the top is a deep golden color with caramelized patches of onion. The sauce should be thickened and glossy around the edges. Total time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts.

Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a breast; it should register 165°F (74°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, cut into the thickest piece to confirm the juices run clear and the center is opaque, not pink.

Once done, remove the casserole from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This short rest allows the juices to redistribute, so the meat stays moist when you slice or serve it.

To serve, use a large serving spoon to lift each chicken breast from the dish, letting the sauce drip over it, and spoon extra caramelized onion sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top. Serve hot, straight from the casserole dish at the table.

Because this recipe relies on just three ingredients, each one matters. Use good-quality condensed French onion soup; the better the soup, the better the final sauce. If your chicken breasts are very large or thick, consider cutting them in half horizontally so they cook more evenly and soak up more flavor. For a slightly richer presentation, you can add a small pat of butter on top of each chicken breast before baking, which will melt into the onion sauce and give it extra sheen. If you want to change the character a bit while staying close to the original spirit, you can swap in condensed cream of mushroom soup for one of the cans of French onion, which gives a creamier, more casserole-style sauce. Another option is to use chicken thighs instead of breasts; they are more forgiving and stay juicy, but you may need to skim a little extra fat from the top of the sauce before serving. For a touch of color, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or chives over the finished dish before it comes to the table—this doesn’t change the core three-ingredient method but makes it look even more company-worthy. Food safety tips: Always keep raw chicken refrigerated until you’re ready to cook, and avoid leaving it at room temperature for extended periods. Use a separate cutting board and knife for raw poultry, and wash your hands, utensils, and any surfaces that come into contact with raw chicken thoroughly with hot, soapy water. Cook chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) and verify with an instant-read thermometer if possible. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, store them in a covered container, and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers until they are hot and steaming throughout (165°F/74°C) before serving.