Name: Classic chicken casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm rounds; 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced; 1 small fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced; 2 Tbsp plain flour; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 cup white wine; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1/2 cup mascarpone; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 small bunch Dutch carrots, unpeeled, trimmed, scrubbed and halved; 1/4 bunch tarragon leaves, finely chopped; Steamed green beans and steamed chat potatoes, to serve

Let the oven do the hard work, then tuck into a plate of ultra-comforting creamy chicken casserole.

The chicken thigh cutlets are oh-so-juicy and fall-apart fabulous after lovely long, slow cooking!

Looking for more chicken casserole recipes?

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm rounds

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 small fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp plain flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 cup mascarpone

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 small bunch Dutch carrots, unpeeled, trimmed, scrubbed and halved

1/4 bunch tarragon leaves, finely chopped

Steamed green beans and steamed chat potatoes, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Heat oil in large, flameproof casserole dish on medium heat. Season chicken. Cook, skin-side down, for 4 minutes until golden, turn and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add leek, celery and fennel to same pan on medium. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes, or until tender. Add flour and stir well to coat. Add stock and wine, and stir well to combine.

Return chicken to pan. Add fennel seeds. Cover with a lid. Bake for 40 minutes.

Uncover, stir in mascarpone and mustard. Add carrot and bake for a further 30 minutes, uncovered, until chicken is golden. Stir through half of the tarragon.

Serve chicken with remaining tarragon, beans and potatoes.

How to store chicken casserole

The best way to store chicken casserole for your next dinner is by putting it in the freezer. This can be done by letting your casserole cool completely and storing in an air-tight container. Casseroles can last up to three months in the freezer. When you want to use it, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat any way you like.

What are main components of a casserole?

Casseroles are usually made up of the following components, to create a wholesome, tasty dish:

starch: this could include potatoes, rice or a dough.
binding agent: a binding agent brings the whole dish together. It is usually a sauce that uses stock of some sort and flour as a thickener.
protein: this could include chicken, beef or lamb. For some casseroles, using vegetable-based proteins, like spinach is also common.
vegetable: vegetables are great for filling out a dish. Most casserole include onion, leek, carrot or other vegies that work well when oven-baked.

You may also like:

Spicy chicken casserole

Cowboy casserole

Honey spiced-lamb casserole

Jessica Brook