This chicken leek casserole is a delicious autumn and winter recipe. The first layer contains chicken with bacon, then a creamy layer of leek, and the casserole is covered with slices of baguette spread with herb butter and generously sprinkled with cheese.
Perfect Comfort Food
This is a really delicious casserole, also for children. Mine eat their whole plate, and the recipe given is just enough for four people.
The tender pieces of chicken, sweet leek and crispy bacon in a creamy sauce is a great combination. Covered with slices of baguette with herb compound butter and cheese, which are gratinated in the oven. That's all you need.
And the waiting starts when the well-filled dish is in the oven, because the entire house starts to smell good and everyone gets hungry. And when it is finally on the table, it becomes completely silent and we enjoy this tasty dish.
So it can be that simple.
That simple.
What do you need for Creamy Chicken, Leek and Bacon Casserole
To prepare this chicken and leek casserole, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Bacon: Gives a salty bite. Use bacon bits or slice bacon in strips.
- You can also replace them with fried mushrooms or extra sun-dried tomatoes.
- Chicken breast: For this recipe, I used chicken breast. But chicken breast fillets are, of course, also possible.
- Herb compound butter: Butter combined with herbs, garlic, and salt to give it extra flavor.
- This easy garlic herb compound butter is easy to prepare and flavorful.
- Butter and Flour: The basis for the roux. You fry the flour in the melted butter. Do this for at least two minutes; otherwise, the sauce tastes like flour.
- Parsley: Gives a bit of freshness.
- Leeks: This vegetable has a sweet and mild taste. Slice the leek very thinly.
- Cut the leek lengthwise once, up to ½ inch (1 ½ cm) from the bottom. Turn a quarter turn and make another vertical cut to about ½ inch (1 ½ cm) from the bottom. Remove the outer leaves from the leek and wash the leek under running water. You can now wash the sand out thoroughly.
- Baguettes: Crispy bread, with a soft inside. It’s French bread.
- Homemade baguettes are easy and budget friendly to prepare. Here you can find an easy baguette recipe.
- Grated cheese: Use grated Gouda or Cheddar cheese. It melts good.
Expert Tip
Add to a warm roux (butter-flour mixture), cold liquid. Add to a cold roux, warm liquid. That way you won't get clumps. When you add the warm liquid to a warm roux, you will get clumps!
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 oz. bacon bits cut in small strips
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon herb compound butter
- 4 leeks sliced into rings
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water room temperature
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 baguettes
- ½ cup herb compound butter
- 2 oz. grated cheese Gouda or Cheddar
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
430 °F or 390 °F - Heat a frying pan and put the bacon bits in the frying pan.5 oz. bacon bits
- Let the bacon strips fry for three minutes to release some fat and then add the chicken. Bake it until it is done.1 pound chicken breast
- Using a slotted spoon, place the chicken and bacon in an oven dish.
- Place the skillet back on the heat and add the herb compound butter. Melt the butter and add the leek. Stir-fry the leek for about three minutes until it becomes glossy and slightly soft.1 tablespoon herb compound butter, 4 leeks
- Add the leek to the chicken in the oven dish and stir well.
- Make a béchamel sauce: Melt two tablespoons of butter in a pan and add the flour all at once. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs the butter. Fry for two minutes.2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Then take a whisk and stir in the water little by little while continuing to stir well to avoid lumps. Taste and season with salt and pepper.1 cup water, salt and pepper
- Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, chop the parsley leaves very finely and stir them into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken/leek mixture.
- Cut the baguette into slices. Smear herb butter on one side of the baguette.2 baguettes, ½ cup herb compound butter
- Cover, butter side up, the chicken/leek mixture. Sprinkle this generously with the grated cheese.2 oz. grated cheese
- Place the oven dish in the oven for 20 minutes and let it become golden brown.
Notes
- When a roux (butter with flour) is warm, add cold liquid to prevent lumps. You can also reverse this: let the roux cool and then add warm liquid. Warm when warm or cold when cold, causes lumps!
- Fry the flour in the melted butter. Do this for at least two minutes; otherwise, the sauce tastes like flour.
- Refrigerator: Wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
- Freezer: Wrap the baking dish in two layers of plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to a month. Let thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Heat the oven dish, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C) for 20 minutes or until the chicken leek casserole is hot.
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