How do i make a traditional chicken casserole?

Stephen_Leak

MEAT CASSEROLE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

375g of beef, lamb or pork, chicken or turkey
2 carrots
2 potatoes
½ an onion
1 tablespoon of oil
200g (½ a 400g tin) of plum tomatoes
125ml of water
125ml of beer or wine
1 beef or chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon of parsley
Ground pepper to taste

DEFROSTING

If you are using frozen chicken, make sure that it is completely defrosted before use. Leave it in the fridge overnight, or out of the fridge and covered for 6 hours.

METHOD

Chop the meat into 2 cm (1 inch) pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into slices. Peel the potatoes and chop them into 2 cm (1 inch) pieces. Peel the onion, cut it in half, chop one half into tiny pieces and save the other half.

Put the oil in a frying pan on a moderate heat. Add the meat and onion, and fry them for about 5 minutes until the meat is thoroughly cooked with no pink bits. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Put the juice into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the bowl). Put the chopped tomatoes into the bowl. Use half and save the other half.

Put the meat and onion, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, water, beer or wine, stock cube and parsley into a large ovenproof dish with a lid. Stir thoroughly. Put the lid on the dish.

Cook in a preheated oven at 150°C, 300°F, gas mark 2 for 2 hours. Check the liquid level from time to time and top it up if it starts to dry out.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

For a really rich gravy, use 125ml more beer or wine instead of the water. The long, slow cooking in the alcohol will tenderise even the cheapest cuts of meat.

Add some dumplings. Use the frozen ones, according to the instructions on the packet.

Serve with a green vegetable, or add 100g of fresh, frozen or tinned peas 15 minutes before the end of cooking.

TIPS

Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

papoosue

I got a chicken casserole pack from Asda - chicken thighs, drumsticks and chunks of onion, swede and carrots. Last time I cooked it in the slow cooker and whilst it was nice, the kids really didn't like the texture of the chicken andI think the pale colour really put them off too. The stock was a bit thin too, although I did thicken it.

Has anyone any ideas how I could cook it to make it a bit more appetising/appealing?

Fluffysheep38

I always do a casserole in a large pot in the oven. This way the gravy always thickens.

I did a chicken casserole last week and cooked for an hour and a half, then took all the chicken off the bone and put it back in for half an hour with dumplings. The chicken didn't look so pale this way.

Hope that helps somewhat?

snoozer

Try browning the chicken pieces in a frying pan before putting them in to casserole to add colour.

Adding a tin of tomatoes would thicken and also add more colour or even some red wine (the alcohol cooks off but children might not like the flavour).

papoosue

Thanks guys,I think I might try a combination of the two - might brown the chicken and then do the casserole in the oven - there's no need to use the slow cooker really I guess as I'll be around all day. Can I just ask Fluffysheep, what sort of temperature did you cook your casserole at?

Penelope_Penguin

I'd agree with the above - brown your chicken, with chopped onions, then cook them with liquid in the oven. I do mine at about gas 2, for an hour or two I never need to add thickeners to mine, the long slow cook reduces the sauce beautifully.

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread to give you more ideas.

kochi1

Could try adding a tin of condensed chicken or mushroom sauce into the dish with the stock, that's what I do when making a casserole and cooking it in the oven.

papoosue

In the end I browned the chicken in the frying pan, added to a casserole dish with a wee bit of stock and cooked in the oven at gas 5 for 1 and a half hours. Was definitely better than the slow cooker but I could not convince my daughter to eat the chicken lol.

I like the idea of doing it at Gas 2 to reduce the sauce - will try that next time, thanks Ooh, and condensed soup - hadn't thought of that. I add a tin of condensed tomato soup to my lasagne though - really adds a bit of richness and depth to the flavour - yum.

Floozie

I agree with Snoozer about browning the chicken so it does not look anaemic. I made a chicken casserole last night with carrots onions and pease thrown in the last few minutes and added some dumplings on top - delicious!

Minniethemoocher

I need to put a chicken casserole in the oven to cook for 3-4 hours, but don't know what number to cook it on so that it doesn't dry out.
I am catering for a large number and don't have enough room in my slow cooker, so I need to cook it in the oven.
I have tried "googling" for recipes, but no luck.