Chicken Casserole
This Chicken Casserole is so simple to make and is real home made Italian style cooking that never fails to meet the taste test. It’s economical and you don’t have to use the vegetables in the recipe, use whatever vegetable you have in your fridge. You will love the chunky farm style look of the dish and the flavour is fabulous. The best oart is that it is a meal all on it’s own, although I always have a nice fresh roll or piece of French loaf on hand to mop up the last of the sauce. (Good for 4 people)
What you need
6 Large chicken thighs or large legs (if small use 8)
4 pork sausages sliced into 3cm thick slices (or 1 chorico sausage)
3 medium potatoes (try sweet potato for a change)
1/2 Garlic bulb broken up (leave skin on)
4 large sticks celery roughly chopped (or 1 fennel bulb)
2 medium onions quartered
4 tomatoes quartered
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme/ Italian herbs)
Salt and pepper
1 cup Chicken stock
The process
Pre-heat your oven to 190 Celsius
Cut your potatoes into quarters and pop into a pot of cold water along with the garlic and Celery, bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat leaving them standing in the hot water while you get the rest of the dish together.
Heat a little oil in a pan and fry your chicken pieces and pork sausages on a medium heat until you have some nice colour on them. Remove from the pan and place into a casserole dish/ roasting pan. Use the same pan with it’s fat in it to fry your onions until glassy, add the tomatoes and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. You may need to add a little water at this stage, just a splash.
Remove the Potatoes, garlic and fennel from the water and add to the chicken saving the water. Now add the onions and the tomatoes to the chicken, move it all about a bit to distribute evenly.
In this one I added about 1/2 a cup of tinned chickpeas just before going into the oven(tip always shell you chickpeas by squeezing between thumb and forefinger first)
Make your 1 cup of stock with the liquid remaining in potato pot, pour over the vegetables and chicken and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes.
Done and delicious.
Hi Graham
Did the delicious chicken casserole. Very good can you plse tell me for how long I need to make it in the slow cooker.
Thanks
Hi Graham,
Thanks for another fantastic recipe. The moment my husband tasted it, he said: “Mmm Mmm! This must be Graham’s recipe!” I did’t have chick peas and as there was a lot of sauce, I thickened it with a rounded tablespoon of corn flour. I also made my own pork sausage with sage, salt and pepper and worcester sauce. Finally, I added fennel seed as I didn’t have a fennel bulb. Served it with rice. Wow! Fantastico!
Hi Keta, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Wow, you made your own pork sausage! that is amazing, great stuff. Sage and pork are a marraige made in heaven 🙂
Cooked this last night, it was divine, thanks Graham. Its a keeper
Fantastic Muno, thanks for letting us know, have a lekker weekend G
Hi Graham, assumed as much, did make it, very rustic dish. Loved the flavours!!
Hi Cindy, I just love it as well. I made the spaghetti meatballs while away in Moz for 10 guys and that was a real hit. https://cookbook.co.za/pasta-recipes/spaghetti-meatballs/ and the other one was the lemon flan (10 men in their 40’s on a fishing trip eating flan 🙂 if you can believe that). https://cookbook.co.za/dessert-recipes/lemon-flan-from-gatriles/
Would love to try this, I see u mention pork sausages in the ingredients list but nowhere in the method.
Hi Cindy, sorry for the late reply.. been in Moz for a week, thanks for pointing out, recipe updated. Cheers for now G
Hi Graham
Could this be made in a slow cooker. I do not have a large enough oven?
Your recipes are great!!
Hi Valerie, Sure you can use a slow cooker.. enjoy it G
It was absolutely delicious. Made it yesterday. Thanks Graham
Fantastic Yvonne, thanks for letting us know, have a delicious day G
Dankie vir die resepte sal daar van hou as u vir my spyskaart kan stuur vir Sondag Buffet werk in restaurant en moet elke sondag spyskaart uit werk
Hi Ina, ek is nie in die restaurant business nie, net n’ ou wie hou om the kook.. (excuse the Afrikaans.. hope it makes sense) G