Comfort food in March’s kitchen!
We’re still getting some wintery weather here in Lincolnshire so after an chilly afternoon in the garden some comfort food is required to warm us up! This is a great dish to serve as it slow cooks itself and is a one pot meal so minimal washing up!
Creamy chicken, leek and potato casserole
Serves 4 generously
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
250g frozen peas
450g boneless chicken (mix of thigh and breast)
15g melted butter
S&P
For the cream sauce:
40g butter
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
40g plain flour
300ml chicken stock
300ml milk
Good teaspoon dried thyme
S&P
Greased 2½litre oven dish
- Poach your chicken in a pan of seasoned simmering water (add in a chopped carrot and some celery if you have it) for about 10 minutes then leave to cool in the cooking water. Once cool enough to handle reserve the stock for the sauce and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Make the sauce- melt the butter in a pan then add in the sliced leeks and garlic. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened then stir in the flour over a low heat. Stir for a minute then turn off the heat. Gradually add in the stock, stirring all the time then add the milk and turn up the heat. Stir until the sauce is thickened then add the thyme and S&P
- Divide your potatoes into 2 lots then use one lot to layer in the bottom of the dish. Do this in two layers adding a layer of sauce in between them. Pour over the rest of the sauce letting it settle down in between the potatoes then scatter over half the peas.
- Scatter the shredded chicken over the potatoes then the remaining peas.
- Arrange the remaining potatoes in an overlapping pattern over the top and brush over the melted butter. Finish with a good grinding of salt and pepper.
- Cover tightly with foil and pop in a preheated oven (180C/160fan/gas 4) for an hour. Remove the foil lid and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown, crisping at the edges and tender.
