recipe: Creamy Chicken Casserole

One of my favourite comfort foods is a warm casserole with rice. It's the perfect dish for colder nights and it's so easy to make - one of those recipes where you just toss everything into a pan. Chicken thighs are my favourite for these kind of recipes as it will turn really tender and tasty in the sauce. YUM.

This recipe is great because it doesn't really need exact measurements - you can just go by sight and taste. You can add whatever vegetables you have - root vegetables are particularly yummy.

INGREDIENTS

• 7-10 whole chicken thighs
• 2 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock dissolved into 700ml water (or as the packet instructions dictate)
• splash of single cream
• vegetables of your choice
• rice
• salt, pepper and mixed herbs for seasoning

METHOD

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Arrange the thighs skin side down and fry lightly for 10 mins.
2. Place chicken thighs into a large pot or casserole dish (I used a lovely, big cast iron pot) and cover with the stock water. 
3. Bring to the boil and then bring down to simmer for 35-40 mins. About 20 minutes before the end, add rougly chopped large chunks of carrot, butternut squash and onion. Approx 10 minutes before the end, add broccoli.
4. Remember to have rice cooked in time. For a portion for four people, allow 20 mins cooking time, for smaller portions leave around 10 mins cooking time.
5. Lower the heat and stir in enough single cream for the sauce to slightly thicken and season to taste.
6. Serve casserole with rice. Dish out plenty of sauce to soak through the rice!

This is such a simple recipe - you could start frying when you come home from work or lectures, leave for half an hour while you change into lounge clothes and relax, and then just add the veggies and enjoy. Perfect for cold evenings!