Cheesy chicken and bacon gratin with a grated potato and panko bread crumb topping is a perfectly indulgent, stodgy slice of comfort food.
This dish takes around an hour and three-quarters to cook and prepare, but most of that time is spent chilling out and relaxing whilst it cooks in the oven!
Cheesy Chicken and Bacon Casserole
Stodge gets a bad rep, but sometimes, what you need is some proper carby, stick-to-your-ribs, comfort food!
Dishes like my cheese and potato pie, Hungarian rakott krumpli, and my cheesy baked bean pasta bake are all my ideas of "stodge" done right.
This cheesy chicken, bacon and potato gratin fits perfectly into that kinda vibe.
It features chicken and bacon in a wonderful bechamel sauce flavoured with English mustard and thyme.
Rather than scalloped potatoes, I prefer to grate my potatoes, mix them with sharp cheddar and add them to both the base of the "casserole" and the top.
The bottom layer soaks up all that sauce and delivers a proper, hearty, comforting underlayer. The top layer gets covered with bread crumbs and baked until it is golden, crisp and bubbling.
It ain't pretty, rarified food, it is simple, hearty comfort food, and sometimes, that is perfect!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this is fantastic eaten on the second day. In fact, this is a rare dish that I make with leftovers in mind.
As I mentioned below the recipe, I serve a third each on day one for a main meal, and then eat the final third shared between two for lunch the day after.
Wrap the dish in foil, and it will be fine in the fridge for a day or two.
Do I have to squeeze the moisture from the potatoes?
Yes, this is important to ensure that your potatoes cook well and that the dish is not swimming in starchy water!
Can I use a different type of mustard?
Yes, knock yourself out. English mustard can be very strong! If you want something milder, try either wholegrain mustard or Dijon mustard.
Can I use chicken breast?
You can, but it is not best suited to this recipe because it can dry out even though it is cooked in a lot of sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken and potato gratin is a big old hearty dish, and I rarely serve it with a side dish, although a few salad leaves on the side with a nice dressing work well.
If you wanted to give it a "whiff" of healthy grub, then some green veggies on this side will work well too.
Some roasted tenderstem broccoli, or my green bean amandine, would work particularly well.
And if you really want to lean into the carby goodness, crack open a tin of baked beans. It's so wrong, but my gosh, it is so right!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan. Non-stick if possible.
- 25cmx15 cm (8"x6") baking dish.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Cheesy Chicken and Bacon, Potato Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken Thigh Meat 11oz
- 150 g Smoked Bacon Lardons 5½oz
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 3 Medium Potatoes 600g
- 100 g Cheddar Cheese 1 Cup (Grated)
- 30 g Butter 2 Tbsp
- 3 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 300 ml Milk 1¼ Cups
- 1-2 teaspoon English Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon White Pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 20 g Dried Coarse Bread Crumbs 3 Tbsp
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5mm (¼") dice.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion, chicken and bacon lardons and cook for 10 minutes, stirring fairly regularly.You do not want the heat too high; you are looking to get the fat in the bacon to render down.
- By now, the chicken and bacon should have had 10 minutes; remove the meat and onions, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add the milk to form a smooth bechamel sauce. Start with a spoon and then move to a whisk as the sauce becomes more liquid. Cook until the sauce has thickened (you should end up with a fairly thin bechamel sauce),
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the mustard (to taste), thyme, remaining salt and white pepper.
- Return the chicken, bacon and onion to the pan with the sauce and stir to combine. Then set aside.
- Grate the potatoes onto a clean tea towel and then squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can.
- Grate the cheddar cheese on the fine side of a box grater into a mixing bowl.
- Add the potatoes to the cheese along with half of the salt, and mix to combine.
- Add a couple of handfuls of the potato and cheese mix to the base of a baking dish (25cmx15cm or 8"x6").
- Pour over the chicken and bacon mix.
- Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and potato mix, followed by the bread crumbs.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C or 350°F. Then remove the foil, turn the heat up to 200°C or 390°F and bake for another 30-35 minutes.
