Recipe of the Day: Creamy Chicken, Leek & Potato Bake

When the temperature drops, few things are more satisfying than pulling a golden, bubbling bake from the oven.

Creamy, hearty and packed with flavour, this Chicken, Leek & Potato Bake is a lighter take on traditional comfort food, bringing together tender chicken, sweet leeks, garlic and a delicious creamy mustard sauce without feeling too heavy.

It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug at the end of a chilly day – simple ingredients, familiar flavours and the added bonus of only needing one baking dish.

Even better, this recipe is perfect for cooking once and enjoying twice. Make a generous batch and you’ll have leftovers ready for lunch or dinner the next day.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

• 600g chicken breast or thigh fillets, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 leeks, washed and finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup reduced-fat cooking cream
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or a few fresh sprigs)
• ½ cup grated tasty cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and cracked pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Add leek and garlic to the same pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. In a bowl, combine cooking cream, chicken stock, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Place half the sliced potatoes into a baking dish. Add half the chicken and leek mixture, then repeat with remaining potato, chicken and leek.
6. Pour the creamy mustard sauce evenly over the top.
7. Sprinkle with tasty cheese and parmesan.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes until golden and the potatoes are tender.

Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy.

Tip

For an extra veggie boost, add baby spinach, peas or mushrooms to the chicken mixture before baking. This dish also freezes beautifully. Simply divide leftovers into portions and freeze for an easy homemade meal on a busy day.