Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
This creamy chicken and vegetable casserole is a hearty yet lighter take on traditional casseroles. Made with tender chicken, fresh vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, leeks, and celery, and finished with a touch of cream, it’s the perfect comfort food for family dinners. The dish is simple to prepare, packed with flavor, and versatile enough to pair with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread. Ideal for weeknight meals or make-ahead batch cooking, this one-pot recipe delivers nourishing, home-cooked flavor without unnecessary heaviness.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 650 g chicken (breast or thigh, boneless and skinless) cut into chunks
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 sticks celery trimmed and thinly sliced
- 200 g mushrooms quartered
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 4 carrots sliced into 1–1.5 cm thick rounds
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 leeks trimmed, washed, and sliced
- 0.5 tsp fine salt or to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 0.5 lemon juice and shell, seeds removed
- 3-4 tbsp double cream
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) or 400°F.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy oven-safe pot and brown the chicken in batches. Remove and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Stir in onion and celery, cooking for 5 minutes until softened, scraping up browned bits.
- Add mushrooms and thyme, cooking for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Stir in garlic and carrots, cooking briefly until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Gradually pour in chicken stock, stirring to create a smooth sauce.
- Return browned chicken to the pot along with the sliced leeks. Squeeze in lemon juice and add the lemon shell for flavor.
- Cover and cook in the oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- Remove the lemon shell and thyme sprigs. Stir in double cream until smooth and silky.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with potatoes, rice, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for a juicier result, but breasts work well for a leaner dish.
- Don’t skip browning the chicken—it adds depth of flavor to the final casserole.
- The casserole tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to develop.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute coconut cream or another plant-based cream.