Why is there a picture of an empty plate? Because this recipe is so good by the time you’re done serving it up, the plates will be empty lickity split!
Okay, actually, I didn’t get a decent picture of the chicken. It looks more like a pile of cheese. A delicious pile of cheese, but not much like chicken. Trust me, there is delicious, tender chicken hiding in there. I didn’t spend any time plating this dish because I just wanted to eat it!
My mom’s friend Jen shared this recipe with me in the early days of my blog. It has become one of our favorites and a quick go-to meal. Enjoy!
BISTRO CHICKEN
From Jen Schulte
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I usually do two, but the amount of sauce could handle probably 4-6 breasts)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I get petite diced)
- Italian seasoning (or a few shakes of oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder)
- 1 can Campbell’s French Onion soup
- Swiss cheese, slicedI cut my chicken breasts into thirds and pound them thin before browning, but the recipe didn’t originally call for that. Brown the chicken breasts in a medium-high skillet in oil or butter. Remove and place in casserole dish.
Cook onions in skillet for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, french onion soup and cook together to reduce liquid for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in the casserole dish, top with Swiss cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
I like to serve with garlic mashed potatoes.
Addendum after comments have come in: the last few times I’ve made it I haven’t used the entire can of french onion soup. I put all the broth in, but I only put maybe half of the onions from the can in. for me, it’s the right balance. the first time I made it, though, I followed the recipe to a “t” and we still liked it, so feel free to modify or not according to your tastes!
Hello! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and then count on you to share your own! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
Sounds scrumptious – you’ve convinced me! I’m going to make it this weekend.
Comment by c2cmom — February 5, 2010 @ 3:34 pm
I made it thanks to your blog – it’s a really quick/easy recipe!
Comment by Kate Z — February 5, 2010 @ 4:06 pm
I’m new to your blog and haven’t commented before! This looks great and seems that it would be kid friendly! Thanks!
Comment by Charisa — February 5, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
looks good but we don’t like swiss cheese, any idea for a substitute? provolone maybe?
Comment by Trish — February 5, 2010 @ 5:49 pm
I think provolone would probably be good. or maybe monterey jack, that melts well and is mild flavored…whatever you like with chicken and tomatoes that melts nicely I’m sure would be great!
Comment by Jane Maynard — February 5, 2010 @ 5:52 pm
This is so good. I made it once seeing it in your menu and it was awesome. My hubby suggested since the sauce is so good to have it over rice and that was tasty! I am afraid that with the soup my turned out a heck of a lot more brown but was still really good.
Comment by Lyndsey — February 5, 2010 @ 6:01 pm
I must admit – I do put ALL the soup in, but I don’t put all of the onions from the can of soup in…I sort of strain some of them out, that might account for the difference. I think it’s great both ways!
Comment by jane maynard — February 5, 2010 @ 6:15 pm
Laughing… some days it is so hard to get good pictures of your food! Totally trust you though and I think your photos look great. Love the color.
Comment by Unplanned Cooking — February 5, 2010 @ 7:59 pm
I was excited about this recipe because of its simplicity, but I have to admit that I didn’t really like it. Something about the soup – overwhelming (probably due to sodium and lots and lots of onions). Consolation – my boyfriend and best friend both loved it and my friend asked for the recipe the next day. Diff’rent strokes I guess.
Comment by vanessa — February 5, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
I made it last year for the first time. I use 6 chicken breasts and all of everything (except I don’t use “Italian seasoning”, just my own amounts of basil, oregano, and rosemary). LOVE IT! My favorite is the sauce with the mashed potatoes.
Comment by Collette — February 5, 2010 @ 9:07 pm
I wonder if my dearly departed Mother-in-law got this recipe from you. Do you know? I remember her putting swiss cheese on the chix and baking it. I think I am going to give this a try! Thanks, Janey May!
Comment by Kim — February 6, 2010 @ 6:28 am
vanessa – I think I need to modify the post a bit b/c you’re the second comment that I’ve wanted to say that I don’t use the entire can of french onion soup for. see my comment #7…I’m kind of with you. I feel like I’ve gotten the balance right and now it’s even better. but, like you said, I think it’s a taste thing.
glad it was a hit with everyone you served, at least! 
Comment by Jane Maynard — February 6, 2010 @ 9:13 am
Bistro chicken is probably my favorite find on TWFD — I’ve made it many, many times since stumbling upon your blog looking for an oven-puffed pancake recipe a couple years ago.
Comment by Hillary Omdal — February 8, 2010 @ 10:44 am
Everytime you use one of Jen Shulte’s recipes… my family loves it. Her chicken and artichoke recipe that you also had… mmmm. Not to mention chimento chicken, chicken goop that you cook in the crockpot, which i use for enchiladas… actually I think we’ve liked every recipe!
Keep up the good work. People in Colorado need your new recipes to branch out beyond the taco, spaghetti, meatloaf rut!
Comment by Melissa Grogan — February 8, 2010 @ 11:50 am
Yay Jane, thanks for the nod to bistro chicken! I will tell my friend Gina who gave me the recipe originally (or mentioned it, and made it for me when I had my first baby … I’ve done my best to re-invent what she did!). She will be proud it’s famous.
My family gobbles it up too, so anything that gets them to eat is great in my book. Plus – it’s so easy, and easy to adjust to what you like!
Comment by Jen Schulte — February 10, 2010 @ 5:40 am
I made this tonight and loved it. Thanks for sharing! Even my three year old boy ate it.
Just a not: I used a can of Italian style diced tomaotes instead of the Italian seasoning. Next time I think I might puree the tomatoes and onions. Thanks again!
Comment by Jenny — February 11, 2010 @ 7:56 pm
I finally got around to making this! You know its good when my husband gobbles down his food and then starts eyeing my plate and asking “are you going to finish that?” I agree with Collette – my favorite part is the sauce on the mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe.
Comment by Shantel Garner Johnson — March 2, 2010 @ 6:48 pm
My experience with this chicken was tragic. Let me clarify… I ate it so fast and crammed so much mashed potatoes into my mouth that I was stuff about 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Also if you cant find the good french onion soup, chicken broth is an equally tasty substitute. Thanks.
Comment by Noé Khalfa — March 23, 2010 @ 12:01 pm
My husband LOVES this recipe! He literally wants to drink the sauce! Lol! =)
Comment by Cheyenne — April 27, 2010 @ 12:39 pm
love all these comments on this recipe!
Comment by Jane Maynard — April 27, 2010 @ 12:43 pm
I’m really dying to try this recipe, and I plan to do so tomorrow night, but I guess I don’t understand why you would take onions out of the soup and add fresh ones to the sauce. Why not just leave the onions in the soup and skip the chopped ones?
Comment by prettykristyn — May 20, 2010 @ 8:46 am
the original recipe does NOT call for removing any of the onions from the canned soup. the first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and it tasted great.
however…my husband is not a huge onion fan, and I like the taste of the fresh onions better than the canned ones, so when I cut back some of the onions from the recipe, the onions I cut were from the can instead of the fresh ones.
it’s all a matter of taste…so just play with it and find what works for you!
Comment by jane maynard — May 20, 2010 @ 8:56 am