Creamy tarragon chicken & potato bake

Creamy tarragon chicken & potato bake

By Esther Clark
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(35 ratings)
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Prep: 15 mins Cook: 40 mins

Easy

Serves 6

This comforting, creamy tarragon chicken bake with fluffy mash is ideal for a family supper. You can speed up the prep by using ready-made mash

Nutrition and extra info

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal564
  • fat35g
  • saturates19g
  • carbs35g
  • sugars7g
  • fibre5g
  • protein25g
  • salt1.2g
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Ingredients

  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 80g smoked pancetta, cut into small pieces
    Pancetta

    Pancetta

    pan-chet-ah

    Pancetta is Italian cured pork belly - the equivalent of streaky bacon. It has a deep, strong,…

  • 2 large onions, sliced
    Onion

    Onion

    un-yun

    Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…

  • 40g plain flour
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
    Tarragon

    Tarragon

    ta-ra-gon

    A popular and versatile herb, tarragon has an intense flavour that's a unique mix of sweet…

  • 2-3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • 2 x 450g packs fresh prepared mashed potato
  • drizzle of olive oil
    olive oil

    Olive oil

    ol-iv oyl

    Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

Method

  1. Melt 20g of the butter in a flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Season the chicken and add to the dish with the pancetta. Fry for 5 mins until the pancetta is crispy and the chicken browned and cooked through. Set aside in a bowl.

  2. Lower the heat, add the remaining butter and, when it starts foaming, add the onions. Cook for 10 mins until softened, then stir through the flour and cook for another 2 mins. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Return to the hob, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins. Stir through the tarragon, mustard and cream, followed by the chicken and pancetta, and cook for another 5 mins until the sauce is thickened.

  3. Heat the grill to high. Heat the mashed potato following pack instructions, then spoon on top of the chicken filling in the casserole dish. Smooth and swirl the potato over right to the edges, drizzle with a little olive oil and put under the grill for 8-10 mins or until the top is golden and bubbling.

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Comments, questions and tips

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ChefAngie99
31st Mar, 2020
5.05
Made this and it went down a treat going to be a favourite in the house, I only used one onion however and used a whole tub of cream think I will stick to the guidelines of a few table spoons next time as it was quite rich
Andrea Hockman's picture
Andrea Hockman
14th Nov, 2019
3.05
Nice flavour. I didn't use all the potato mash as I thought it was too much... the recepie is a bit too rich so next time if I decide to give it another try I'll be using less onion and less potato mash.
elsee82
12th Jul, 2019
5.05
Absolutely banging!
clhughson's picture
clhughson
10th Sep, 2018
So so so yummy!! Took me a bit of prep because I decided to make two loads of the recipe to freeze one. But oh so tasty! And really filling. I added mushrooms as I had some lurking in the fridge. Would make it again.
nmaslin
29th May, 2018
5.05
just made this for my family and at last minute realised i had no mustard and i had picked up quark instead of cream. So i added in some garlic and a pinch of nutmeg. They absolutely loved. Will defiantly try it with the correct ingredients next time
Sophiemad97
5th Dec, 2017
5.05
Amazingly tasty as well as easy and quick with the pre made mash and cooking it under the grill!
gillibee's picture
gillibee
11th Oct, 2017
5.05
Made my own mash but everyone loved it
sarahl42
23rd Apr, 2017
5.05
Well what a lovely recipe, parents were coming round & I wanted to cook something different, & wow such lovely flavors, used chicken breasts instead & made my own mash. Everyone loved it, will defiantly be making it again very soon.
nicci_robo
22nd Apr, 2017
5.05
This is becoming one of our favourites, I've made it a couple of times now and it's excellent. Delicious flavour and fairly simple to make
Frantic Flapjack
31st Jan, 2017
4.05
This is a winner. The tarragon flavour is lovely. I used fresh mashed potatoes and served alongside the tarragon chicken instead of on top of it.
rachhax
12th Jul, 2020
Does dried tarragon work? I’m struggling to find fresh?
lulu_grimes's picture
lulu_grimes
18th Jul, 2020
Hi, Yes you could use dried tarragon, you'll need to add a little less as it will stronger. Lulu
Bigfoot1234
20th Jan, 2020
Could i make ahead this dish and then finish it off in the oven? Ie make the chicken and make my own mash. Assemble it in a dish and once cooled put it in the fridge. And then heat in the oven like I would a shepherds pie.
CassieBest's picture
CassieBest
22nd Jan, 2020
Hi Bigfoot1234, Yes you could, just add an extra 10-15 mins to the cooking time and check it's piping hot before serving. Cassie (Senior Food Editor, BBC Good Food)
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