My mother-in-law made this every Easter Sunday for 35 years and nobody ever left without asking for the recipe. Only 4 ingredients!

This oven baked 4-ingredient chicken Newburg is the kind of retro, cozy casserole my (imaginary) mother-in-law would slide onto the table every Easter Sunday without fail. It’s rich, creamy, a little bit fancy from the sherry, and yet unbelievably simple—just four real ingredients you can grab on your way home from work. No chopping, no fussy steps, just tender chicken in a golden, sherry-spiked sauce that bubbles up in the oven until it’s begging to be spooned over something carby. It feels special enough for a holiday, but it’s easy enough for a random Tuesday when you still want dinner to feel like an occasion.

Serve this chicken Newburg spooned generously over buttered egg noodles, rice, or toasted brioche for that classic, slightly old-school vibe. A simple green side salad with a tangy vinaigrette or some steamed asparagus helps balance the richness. If you’re feeding a crowd (or doing a holiday spread), add rolls or a baguette to soak up the extra sauce, plus something bright and crunchy like green beans or a shaved veggie salad. Leftovers reheat well, so it’s also great for meal prep lunches with a side of frozen peas or mixed veggies.

Servings: 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart white oval casserole dish (or similar baking dish) with cooking spray or a thin swipe of butter.

Add the chicken chunks to the casserole dish and spread them into an even layer. Pat them dry with paper towels first if they’re very wet; this helps the sauce cling better.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, half-and-half, and dry sherry until smooth and fully combined. The mixture should be creamy and pourable, with no big lumps of soup.

Pour the sherry-cream mixture evenly over the chicken in the casserole dish, gently nudging with a spoon so all the chicken pieces are coated and mostly submerged in the sauce.

Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and give the sauce a gentle stir around the edges to keep it from sticking.

Return the uncovered casserole to the oven and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer in the thickest piece should read 165°F/74°C) and the sauce is bubbling and lightly golden around the edges.

Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes on the counter. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, giving you that rich, spoonable texture you want for serving.

To serve, spoon generous portions of the creamy, sherry-spiked chicken and sauce over hot egg noodles, rice, toast points, or puff pastry shells. Scoop from the center of the casserole for that classic, close-up, creamy look you’d see in a homemade phone photo.

If you want to tweak this while keeping the spirit of a 4-ingredient, holiday-style casserole, think about swapping rather than adding. For a richer flavor, use all heavy cream instead of half-and-half. If you prefer a slightly lighter version, you can use light cream or even whole milk, but the sauce will be a bit thinner. Dry sherry is classic for Newburg; if you don’t cook with alcohol, you can substitute an equal amount of chicken broth plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for a little brightness (just know it won’t taste like traditional Newburg). You can also swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom or cream of celery for a different but still cozy flavor profile. For make-ahead prep, assemble the casserole up to the point of baking, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time if starting from cold. For food safety, always use boneless, skinless chicken that has been kept refrigerated below 40°F (4°C), avoid rinsing raw chicken (it can spread bacteria around your sink), and wash your hands and any cutting boards or knives that touched raw chicken with hot, soapy water. Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest pieces before serving, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers; eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until hot and steaming throughout.