Creamy Chicken and Leek Hotpot

Chicken hotpot with leeks in a creamy whole-grain mustard sauce made from a roux without cream and topped with a layer of crispy potatoes.

Cooking this dish takes around an hour and a half, but you can do all of the preparation in advance and throw it in the oven to cook when you are ready.

Potato Topped Creamy Chicken and Leek "Pie"

Us Brits definitely have a thing for a savoury "pie", and they are not all wrapped in pastry!

We, of course, have a rich vein of mashed-topped pies like shepherd's pie and cottage pie. Then, unusual derivations like my sausage and mash pie and fish finger pie, you seriously need to try these!

Then we have a hotpot, in the UK this means a pie or stew topped with a scalloped potato lid.

The most famous of these is arguably the Lancashire hotpot, a wonderful lamb dish that I adore!

This creamy chicken and leek hotpot joins other similar ideas like my sausage hotpot, vegan mushroom hotpot, minced beef hotpot, spicy minced lamb hotpot, and a spicy beef hotpot. The panacalty is a dish from the North East of England, and in many ways it is so similar to a hotpot as to make no difference

Whilst being creamy, this hotpot uses no cream, and the base of the sauce is a roux, a deliciously creamy white sauce made from butter, flour and milk, very much like my chicken gratin recipe.

The filling gets flavoured by thyme and a little wholegrain mustard before being chucked in the oven until baked to perfection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use a mandolin?

No, you can slice the potatoes by hand. Just take care to cut them evenly because they can cook unevenly if you don't!

Do I have to use wholegrain mustard?

No, not at all, use any mustard that you have at home; however, wholegrain mustard tends to be on the mild side, so you may want to reduce the quantity if you are using something more "pokey".

Can I prepare this in advance?

Kind of yes. You can put together the filling for the hotpot up to 24 hours in advance, but I would not slice the potatoes until you are ready to cook.

Alternatively, you can bake this to completion and then cool and cover it with foil; it will last in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, just slide it into a low-medium oven (150°C or 300°F) until piping hot.

Can I use sweet potatoes to top this dish?

I got asked this question on social media and had to try it out. It was not to my taste personally because the creamy filling and sweet potato did not complement each other too well.

Serving Suggestions

This hearty, creamy chicken hotpot has most of what you need to fill yer belly, and as a result, the only thing you need to add is some greens.

The pictures here show it served with roasted tenderstem broccoli. Anything roasted in the oven is perfect because it is already hot, so why not use it?

Sticking with the same theme, you could throw some roasted savoy cabbage on the side or even roasted miso Brussels sprouts.

I you are not leveraging the oven, consider dishes like buttered cabbage, green beans amandine or some Air Fryer asparagus.

Equipment Used

I only mention 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.

• Oven.
• Hob/stovetop.
• Grill or broiler (optional).
• 30cm or 12" nonstick frying pan.
• 21cm x 16cm x 4.5cm or 8″ x 6″ x 2″ casserole dish.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Mandolin (optional).
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Stirring and serving spoons.