Easy chicken casserole

An easy chicken casserole recipe should be in every cook’s little black book and this one will go down well with all of the family. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes, or rice.

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (around 850g/1lb 14oz)
• 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in slices
• 150g/5½oz small mushrooms, halved or quartered if larger
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into roughly 1.5cm/⅝in slices
• 20g/¾oz plain flour (around 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 500ml/18fl oz hot chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)
• 1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into roughly 1cm/½in slices
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method for Easy chicken casserole

1. Preheat the oven 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Season the chicken thighs all over with a little salt and lots of black pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick casserole pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for 7–8 minutes, skin-side down, or until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and cook on the other side for 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the onion, bacon and mushrooms. Fry over a medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring regularly. Add the carrots and flour and toss together well.

4. Sprinkle with the thyme, then pour in the stock, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition. Add the chicken pieces back to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan with a lid.

5. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Take out of the oven and stir in the leeks.

6. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the chicken and leeks are tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve.

Easy chicken casserole