Cheesy Chicken and Bacon, Potato Gratin Recipe

Baked cheesy chicken and bacon gratin with snipped chives.

Cheesy Chicken and Bacon, Potato Gratin Recipe

This cheesy and creamy chicken and bacon gratin is topped with a combination of grated potatoes and bread crumbs to give this ultimate comfort food dinner the perfect crispy lid!

Course Main Course

Cuisine European

Keyword chicken and bacon gratin, chicken and potato gratin, chicken gratin

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 889kcal

Author Brian Jones

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.

Video

Notes

This is a rare dish on my website, not designed for two. I tend to serve a third each on day one, and then reheat the leftovers for lunch on day two.

Nutrition