Chicken hot pot is such a comforting meal, it is easy to see why many have it as a staple throughout winter.
Covered with slices of crispy slightly overlapping potatoes, this dish is extremely easy and quick to prepare, yet it feels very festive when presented at the dinner table.
This is a natural evolution of the classic Lancashire Hot Pot, which uses layers of meat and root vegetables, which are covered with sliced potatoes and cooked in the oven in a covered pot.
This dish will satisfy every craving while not breaking the calorie or fats bank, is easy to reheat and pack for a work lunch, all while being filling and easy to prepare.
Turn the oven on, let’s get this chicken hot pot going!
Let’s talk nutrition!
Chicken is one of the most versatile and used ingredients in cuisines all over the world; its meat is extremely easy to cook and can be prepared and served on its own or as part of more complete, one-dish meals, such as this Chicken Hot Pot.
Chicken breast is one of the preferred meats for people following different diets, be it for weight loss, muscle building, or even just to keep it lighter; the breast is the leanest cut of chicken meat that comes from the pectoral muscle that is found on the underside of the animal.
Chicken meat is a good source of Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, Calcium and it also contains traces of Vitamins A and C; this type of poultry also contains higher amounts of healthier fats, when comparing them to red meat, and it has no carbohydrates.
~~ Looking for more easy and tasty recipes that use chicken breast? Try this delicious Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Herby Filling!
Questions time!
How to make chicken hot pot?
Chicken hot pot consists of two main components: the chicken and vegetable casserole at the bottom and the sliced potato topping on the top.
To start, heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (FAN), 200 degrees Celsius static oven, Gas mark 6 or 400 Fahrenheit.
For the chicken and mushroom casserole, start by warming up a medium-sized saucepan with some olive oil on medium heat; once warm, add the thinly chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves.
Mix well the vegetable base and season with some salt, which will help cook them quicker.
Once the onion has softened and turned transparent, add the diced chicken breast; turn the heat to high and lightly brown the chicken for a couple of minutes. Once all the sides of the chicken have been seared, lower the flame back to medium and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Allow the chicken to cook for 3 to 4 further minutes, then add the chunks of mushrooms; mix well the mushrooms to the chicken hot pot filling and allow them to cook for 5 minutes with a lid on the saucepan, which will prevent the juice of the chicken and mushrooms from evaporating.
At this stage, the chicken chunks will be nearly cooked and so will the mushrooms, so add your herbs and seasoning of choice (I added some parsley and a touch of black pepper) and mix well.
Lastly, to create the creamy base of the filling, add the flour to the chicken and mushroom filling and mix well; once the flour has coated all of the ingredients, add the milk, mix well and remove from the hob. The hot pot filling is now ready.
To prepare the topping for this deliciously English dish, wash and peel two medium-sized white potatoes, then cut them into slices about 4mm thick (1/6 inch). Bring to the boil a large pot of salted water and add the sliced potatoes to it; allow the potatoes to simmer on a medium flame for about 4 minutes, then drain and allow to lightly cool down, until easy to handle by hand.
Now that the two components of the chicken hot pot are ready, it is time to put them together for the final step.
Put the hot pot filling in the chosen baking dish (I used a glass dish approximately 8-inches – 21 cm -in diameter) and even the surface out, without overly pressing the content.
Cover the whole surface of the filling using the slices of potatoes, ensuring that each slice is slightly overlapping with the next one.
Once the whole filling is topped with potatoes, cover the dish with a sheet of foil or a lid suitable for baking; put the covered chicken hot pot on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the potatoes turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the dish to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, before serving. Enjoy!
How to store chicken hot pot?
Once baked, this dish can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 4 days, but the vegetables will start to change consistency after the second day. Before serving again, reheat the portion fully, ensuring it is piping hot.
This chicken hot pot with potato topping can be also frozen either before or after baking; in either case, ensure it is fully tawed before either baking it or warming it up again.
Can this dish be made vegetarian or vegan?
There are only two non-plant-based ingredients in this dish, and they can both be exchanged. The chicken in the filling can be substituted with meat alternatives, such as Quorn, which are available in most supermarkets, or with other chunky vegetables, such as more mushrooms or carrots, as well as courgettes, fennel, or parsnips, to name a few.
The milk that is mixed with the roux to make the creamy sauce, can be substituted with soy milk, or another plant-based alternative that is not sweet and cooks well.
~~ Scouting for alternatives? The 12 Best Non-Dairy Substitutes for Milk | What is the best alternative to milk? How to choose it? | 12+ Plant-Based Alternatives
A few notes:
To make this dish even easier, here are a few tips I would have found very helpful when I first started preparing this dish:
– Chicken: this dish is prepared with chicken breast, as it is the leanest cut of chicken, however, it works great with chicken thighs as well, which however have more calories. A great compromise is to use half breasts and half thighs, however, remember to add the calories if you are counting.
– Seasoning: I kept it very simple for this recipe, however adding different seasonings to the base can make the dish taste completely different. For a kick, add a little paprika or, to make it feel more like a holiday dish, chop some rosemary or thyme and add to the base.
– Topping: to keep it traditional, I have used white potatoes for the topping, however, most other roasting vegetables would work well.
– Glaze: to give it that little extra crunch, cover the potato topping with a few cooking sprays before putting the chicken hot pot in the oven.
– Oil: for cooking the base, I have used a little light flavored olive oil; if the olive oil you have is quite strong and extra virgin (like the one for salads), then I would recommend using some sunflower or vegetable oil instead, as it may be a bit too strong for the base of the dish.
This comforting chicken hot pot with potato topping and mushrooms filling will definitely tackle all the cravings you may have during cold winter days.
An easy dish, low in calories, perfect for a crowd or to keep in the fridge to eat the following day, this filling one-dish full dinner meal will be a frequent presence at your table.
The Best Creamy Chicken Hot Pot with Potato Topping and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil or sunflower or vegetable oil
- 450 g Diced Chicken Breast skinless and boneless
- 250 g Chestnut Mushrooms cut in halves or quarters
- 2 Carrots washed, peeled and diced
- 2 Celery Sticks washed and diced
- 2 Onions any color, peeled and diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp Parsley I used dry parsley
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 100 ml Semi-Skimmed Milk
- 2 Medium White Potatoes washed, peeled and sliced
- 5 Sprays Cooking Spray optional for the top
Instructions
- Preheat your FAN oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 200 degrees Celsius static oven, Gas mark 6 or 400 Fahrenheit.
- For the chicken and mushroom filling, warm up a medium-sized saucepan with some olive oil on medium heat; once warm, add the thinly chopped onions, carrots, celery, andgarlic cloves. Mix well the vegetable base and season with some salt, which will helpcook them quicker.
- Once the onion has softened and turned transparent, add the diced chicken breast; turn the heat to high and lightly brown the chicken for a couple of minutes.
- Once all the sides of thechicken have been seared, lower the flame back to medium and cover the saucepanwith a lid.
- Allow the chicken to cook for3 to 4 further minutes, then add the chunks of mushrooms; mix well the mushroomsto the chicken hot pot filling and allow them to cook for 5 minutes with a lid on the saucepan, which will prevent the juice of the chicken and mushrooms from evaporating.
- At this stage, the chickenchunks will be nearly cooked and so will the mushrooms, so add your herbs andseasoning of choice (I added some parsley and a touch of black pepper) and mixwell.
- Lastly, to create the creamybase of the filling, add the flour to the chicken and mushroom filling and mixwell; once the flour has coated all of the ingredients, add the milk, mix welland remove from the hob. The hot pot filling is now ready.
- To prepare the topping forthis deliciously English dish wash and peel two medium-sized white potatoes,then cut them into slices about 4mm thick (1/6 inch). Bring to the boil a largepot of salted water and add the sliced potatoes to it; allow the potatoes tosimmer on a medium flame for about 4 minutes, then drain and allow to lightlycool down, until easy to handle by hand.
Now that the two components ofthe chicken hot pot are ready, it is time to put them together for the finalstep.
- Put the hot pot filling inthe chosen baking dish (I used a glass dish approximately 8-inches – 21 cm -indiameter) and even the surface out, without overly pressing the content.
- Cover the whole surface ofthe filling using the slices of potatoes, ensuring that each slice is slightlyoverlapping with the next one.
- Cover the surface of the potato topping with the cooking spray, which will help it give some extra crunch.
- Once the whole filling is topped with potatoes, cover the dish with a sheet of foil or a lid suitable for baking; put the covered chicken hot pot on the middle shelf in the oven andbake for 15-20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for a further 20minutes, or until the potatoes turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven andallow the dish to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, before serving. Enjoy!
One Response
Awesome recipe, can’t wait to make it…