Cider chicken casserole
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Cider chicken casserole
This creamy chicken dish with smoked bacon and leeks is enhanced with cider and mustard. The addition of potatoes makes it satisfying enough to be served as is, or you could pair with sautéed Savoy cabbage
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
573Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
9gr
Carbs
26gr
Sugars
7gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
52gr
Salt
1.8gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 x 640g packs chicken thigh fillets, halved
- 1 x 250g pack smoked bacon lardons
- 500g leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml dry cider
- 500ml chicken stock
- 500g baby new potatoes, halved
- 150g frozen peas
- 75g crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- ½ x 20g pack tarragon, leaves chopped
Step by step
Got a slow cooker?
Scroll to the end to find out how to make this in the slow cooker.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large flameproof casserole. Season the chicken and sear on a high heat in batches until lightly golden on both sides, adding a further ½ tablespoon of oil as necessary. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Add the bacon lardons to the casserole and fry until golden and crispy. Transfer to the plate of chicken, leaving the fat behind in the pan. Reduce the heat and stir in the leeks and garlic. Cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until just softened. Add the flour and cook out for 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Return the chicken, bacon and any resting juices to the casserole then pour in the cider and stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and add the potatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, covered, and then uncover for a final 15 minutes. Stir in the peas for the final 2 minutes.
-
Remove from the heat and stir through the crème fraîche, mustard and most of the tarragon. Serve scattered with the remaining tarragon and a good grinding of black pepper.Slow cooker recipeBrown the chicken and bacon in a large frying pan and add to your slow cooker pot. Fry the leeks and garlic then stir in the flour for 1-2 minutes, followed by just 350ml cider and 300ml stock (less liquid is required in a slow cooker). Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer, then transfer the mixture to the slow cooker pot. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low, or about 3 hours on high. Add the peas and cook for 10-15 minutes, lid on, before stirring in the crème fraîche, mustard and tarragon to serve.
