Chicken and root vegetable casserole
65 min · 39 g protein · 474 cals / serving
A proper British winter casserole in about an hour on the hob: browned chicken thighs simmered with carrots, parsnips, swede, leek and celery in a thyme and wholegrain mustard gravy, with two tins of butter beans and peas stirred in at the end in place of potatoes. Cornflour thickens the gravy, so it is gluten-free, and it freezes in portions.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless thighs (750 g) chicken thigh, halved
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, cornflour, for the chicken
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp canola oil, rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste, tomato purée
- 3 medium carrots, in thick slices
- 2 medium parsnip, in chunks
- 1/2 small swede (250 g) rutabaga, peeled, in 2 cm dice
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or a few fresh sprigs
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 500 ml chicken broth, chicken stock (check it is gluten-free)
- 2 tins (400 g each), drained canned butter beans
- 150 g cooked frozen green peas
To thicken
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, cornflour
- 2 tbsp water, cold
- a small handful fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the cornflour, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches, about 3 minutes each, until golden on one side. Lift it out. While the chicken browns, peel and chop the carrots, parsnips and swede.
- Turn the heat to medium, add the onion, leek and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 5 minutes until soft; add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato purée for 1 minute, then add the carrots, parsnips, swede, thyme, bay, mustard, stock and the rest of the salt. Return the chicken and its juices, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is 165°F inside.
- Uncover, add the butter beans and peas and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir the second tablespoon of cornflour into the cold water, stir it in and simmer 1 minute until the gravy thickens, and crush a few pieces of swede and parsnip against the side of the pan to thicken it further. Taste for salt.
- Fish out the bay leaves and scatter with parsley. It keeps 4 days in the fridge (2 days by UK advice, or freeze it); it freezes for 3 months, so thaw it in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.
Good to know
Oven instead of hob?
After step 3, put the lidded casserole in the oven at 340°F (300°F fan) for 1 hour, then stir in the beans and peas for the last 10 minutes. It is the slower, more traditional route and very forgiving.
Dumplings or mash?
Suet dumplings on top make it a classic (and add wheat); a spoon of mashed potato or a slice of crusty bread does the same job for the gravy. It is hearty enough on its own.
Per
- Calories
- 78
- Protein
- (35%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (27%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (38%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 223 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2371 kcal goes into the pot and 3196 g of ingredients comes out as about 3045 g of food: 78 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.