Chicken casserole is a great dish to cook for the family, with leftovers ready to heat up the following day.
It can also be altered to whatever you have in the fridge, making it super versatile.
The notes of Mary Berry’s recipe said: “An all-in-one dish that is really easy to cook and serve.
“Sage was often used as a dried herb in recipes but now it is readily available fresh and is simple to grow.
“It comes with either grey or purple leaves, they both taste the same.”
Ingredients:
250g dry-cured bacon, snipped into small pieces
Two large onions, chopped
Eight chicken thighs, skin removed and bone in
Two tablespoons of sunflower oil
30g plain flour
150ml chicken stock
150ml dry white wine
Two large thyme sprigs
Small bunch sage
Two bay leaves
200g small chestnut mushrooms, quartered
100g full-fat crème fraîche
Knob of butter
Small bunch of flatleaf parsley
Method:
Place the bacon into a large non-stick frying pan and fry over medium heat for a few minutes before adding the onions and drying until the bacon is brown at the edges.
Transfer the bacon and onions to a plate using a slotted spoon and set to the side before lightly seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper.
Place the oil into the frying pan, adding the chicken and browning over high heat. Then, transfer to the plate with the bacon and onions.
Preheat the oven to 160C or 140C Fan before scattering the flour into the pan and stirring to combine.
Slowly add the stock, whisking it and then pour in the wine as well as the bacon, onions and chicken. Make sure to stir well before adding the thyme, sage and bay leaves.
Bring to the boil whilst seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and then add the mushrooms and crème fraîche, stirring well before returning it to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small frying pan on a medium heat and then add the reserved sage leaves and fry until they are crisp.
Remove the bay leaves, thyme and sage sprigs from the casserole and discard before stirring in the parsley and serving with the crisp sage leaves on top.
This recipe can be made up to a day ahead, but add the crème fraîche and mushrooms when reheating.
