Chicken Casserole Recipe

This tasty chicken casserole consists of tender chicken pieces in a creamy bacon, mushroom and white wine sauce. We serve it with creamy mashed potato, steamed green vegetables, and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Preparation time: about 40 minutes (excludes 1 1/2 hours simmering time)

Serves about 4.

We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

20ml (1 tablespoon) oil
1kg skinless chicken pieces (we use a combination of breasts, thighs, drumsticks and wings)
100g bacon, chopped (we use shortcut bacon pieces and remove excess fat and rind)
1 medium (about 150g) onion, peeled and finely diced
1 medium (about 120g) carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
100g mushrooms, roughly chopped
18g (1 1/2 tablespoons) plain flour
10ml (2 teaspoons) tomato paste
125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
312ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock
1 bay leaf
62ml (1/4 cup) cream (35 to 40 percent fat)
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and brown pieces on all sides (this should take about 10 minutes). Don't overcrowd the pan when frying; if necessary, fry the chicken in two or more batches, adding more oil if required.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add bacon, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until onion has softened (about 2 minutes).

Add garlic, mushrooms, flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Gradually stir in wine and chicken stock. Increase heat to high and continue stirring until the mixture simmers.

Return chicken to the pan and add the bay leaf. Cover pan (have the steam vent on the lid open) and reduce heat so that the mixture is simmering. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender and sauce has reduced. You may need to remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes of the cooking time if the sauce has not reduced enough. Stir casserole occasionally during cooking.

Stir in cream, bring casserole back to the simmer, and then turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and place chicken on serving plates. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

Store any leftover casserole in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au