This chicken, leek and potato casserole is one of my autumn favourites. It’s inspired by my favourite soup; leek and potato – but made into a one-pan dish which you can serve alone or alongside crustry bread.
You can freeze the cooked casserole too; it’s good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to make chicken, leek & potato casserole
Scroll down for the printable recipe card and ingredient list
1. Begin by preparing your ingredients; peel and cut the carrot and onions. Wash the leek and potatoes, then cut the leek into thin rounds and half the potatoes. It’s really important to wash the leeks once you’ve cut them thoroughly – they hold quite a lot of dirt usually!
2. Trim your chicken thighs of any excess fat. Then, head a large pan or hob-safe casserole dish to a medium heat, add a little oil, then the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 mins either side; until the skin is slightly browned. You’re not needing to cook the chicken through here, just get some colour on. You may need to do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
3. You just want it lightly browned; like this:
4. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Into the same pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and allow to melt and mix with the chicken fat.
5. Then tip in the carrots and onions; cook, stirring often. Allow these to cook for about 3 minutes until the onions are softer and slighly clear – like this:
6. Then add in the leeks; stir to coat in the butter mix and cook for a further 3 minutes.
7. Next, sprinkle the veg mix with 1.5 tbsp of flour (this will thicken the sauce as it cooks)
8. Stir this to coat everything, and cook for a further 1 min to remove the ‘raw’ flour taste
9. Finally, add back in the chicken thighs – along with the halved potatoes, 600ml of chicken stock, 1 tsp dijon mustard, and the thyme springs. Cook, uncovered, on a low simmer for 35 minutes
10. Then, after 35 minutes, stir the whole mixture and assess how thick the sauce is – if you’d like it thicker, take a small amount of the liquid into a cup or mixing jug, and mix with 1 tbsp of cornflour to make a slurry (like the below) – then, stir this through the casserole.
11. Immediately add the creme friache – stir throughout. Then, cook for a further 10 minutes
12. Then it’s done! Remove the thyme sprigs and serve alongside crusty bread.
Chicken, Leek & Potato Casserole
One of my winter favourites; this is a one-pot dish that includes potatoes. Serve with crusty bread and optional dumplings - a cross between leek and potato soup, and chicken and leek casserole, delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion
- 4 carrots
- 2 leeks
- 750g chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp flour
- 750ml chicken stock
- 450g Baby potatoes
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Handful fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp Creme fraiche
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Cornflour (see notes)
Optional (to serve)
- Chives
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Start by prepping your ingredients: peel and slice the carrots, dice the onion, wash the leeks and potatoes - then cut the baby potatoes in half (you can leave any small ones whole)
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs.
- Warm a large pan or hob-safe casserole over a medium heat with a little oil. Add the chicken, season with the salt and pepper, and brown on both sides until lightly golden - usually about 3 mins each side - you may need to do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
- Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate (the chicken doesn't needd to be cooked through, just browned at this stage).
- Add butter into the pan - then add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until the onion softens (about 3-5 mins)
- Then, add in the trimmed leeks and cook for a 3 more minutes until they start to soften.
- Shake 2 tbsp flour over the veg and stir for a minute so it coats everything (this will thicken the sauce as it cooks).
- Cook the flour-coated veg for 1 minute.
- Then, return the chicken to the pan, add the potatoes, stock, Dijon mustard and thyme.
- Bring it up to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered on low for about 35 minutes.
- Check the sauce. If you’d like it thicker, mix 1 tbsp cornflour with a little cold water in a mug or measuring cup to make a slurry and stir it through the sauce
- Then, stir in the crème fraîche and let it lightly simmer gently for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is soft.
- Remove the thyme sprigs, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- To serve, I love this with buttered crusty bread and finely cut chives on top.
Notes
Cornflour is used to thicken the sauce at the end.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 500Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 228mgSodium 613mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 44g
Nutritional data provided here is only an estimate. If you're tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
