Healthy chicken casserole recipe

This healthy chicken casserole is the perfect balance of nutritious and low fat, but comforting and tasty.

It's a great option if you're trying to stay healthy but want to feed the same meal to the whole family. To keep the fat content down even more, remove the skins from the chicken thighs and cut off any excess fat before browning. Alternatively, if the family like the skin, just remove it from individual portions before eating. You can add extra vegetables to the casserole if you like, or vary it by season. Leeks or celeriac work well. Serve on its own or with crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, halved and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 605g pack chicken thigh fillets
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500g new potatoes, quartered
• Leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs and 2 thyme sprigs
• 600ml stock
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 410g can butter beans, drained
• Crusty wholegrain or seeded bread, to serve

Method

1. To make this chicken casserole, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the carrots and celery and stir so they are all coated in oil. Cook for 4-5 mins.
2. Toss the chicken in the flour, add to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Then add the potatoes, rosemary, thyme and stock. Heat until simmering, cover and cook in the oven for 45 mins.
3. Mix the cornflour with 4 tbsp water to make a paste. Stir into the casserole and then add the beans and cook for another 10 mins. Serve with chunks of bread.

Top tip for this healthy chicken casserole

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make sure you reheat thoroughly before serving.

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