Description
This creamy chicken casserole is a comforting and hearty dish featuring tender chicken breasts simmered in a flavorful sauce with vegetables, finished with cream and peas, and baked to perfection. Served over mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh parsley, it's a perfect family meal for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 1 kg boneless chicken breast, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup cream
- 3 Tbsp cornflour
To Serve
- Mashed potato
- Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake to ensure it's ready for baking the casserole.
- Sauté vegetables: Heat a large cast-iron casserole dish over medium heat and add olive oil. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery for five minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add garlic and create roux: Stir in the crushed garlic, make a gap in the center, add butter, and once bubbling, sprinkle in the flour. Stir well and cook for two minutes to form a smooth roux.
- Add stock and chicken: Pour in half the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the base of the dish. Add the remaining stock and diced chicken breasts, stirring to combine.
- Bake covered: Place the lid on the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and flavors to meld.
- Add cream and peas: Remove the casserole from the oven, stir in the peas and cream. Mix cornflour with 3 tablespoons cold water and add to the dish, stirring thoroughly.
- Bake uncovered to thicken: Return casserole to the oven uncovered and bake for another 15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and garnish: Spoon the creamy chicken casserole over mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped Italian parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can transform this casserole into a chicken pot pie by placing half the mixture in a pie dish and topping with puff pastry before baking.
- Store-bought chicken stock is convenient, but homemade stock or stock cubes dissolved in boiling water also work well.
- This casserole freezes excellently; cool completely, store airtight in the freezer for up to three months, then defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
