Quick Chicken, Bacon and Veggie Bake

This dish is super simple and easy to prepare, we made it the other night and it took less than 60 minutes from when we got home to when it was tucked into.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1 courgette
• 2 carrots
• 1 ½ cups mushrooms
• 1 chicken breast
• 4-5 rashers bacon.
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ medium onion – finely chopped
• 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 1 cup milk
• 75g grated cheese
• salt, pepper, mixed herbs, barbeque spice (or Steers Salt)

1. Grease an ovenproof dish – about 25 cm wide and 10cm or more deep.
2. Cut the chicken breast into strips and sprinkle with barbecue spice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
3. Scrub or peel the potatoes and slice. Boil for about 10 minutes in salted water. Drain and cool.
4. Peel and slice the carrots and courgettes. Blanch the carrots for about 2 minutes in salted water. Drain and cool.
5. Wash the mushrooms and slice thickly.
6. Fry the chicken in a little oil over a high heat until browned. Remove. Fry the bacon until cooked (but not crispy).
7. Preheat the oven to 200C
8. Place a layer of potato in the dish. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and barbecue spice. Add a layer of courgettes and a small sprinkling of barbecue spice and salt. Add a layer of the fried chicken breast and cover with a layer of sliced carrots. Add a pinch of spice and a sprinkling of mixed herbs. Add a layer of mushrooms, bacon and the remaining potatoes. Add a pinch of barbecue spice.
9. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Fry the chopped onions for 1-2 minutes and add the flour, mixing it in well. Gradually add the milk, and blend in with a wire whisk. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper and a teaspoon of mixed herbs. You don’t want the sauce to be too thin as the mushrooms will lose a lot of water when the dish is being baked. Once thickened, remove from heat and add the grated cheese, reserving a little for the topping.
10. Pour the sauce over veggies, and use a spoon to force it into the gaps where possible. Sprinkle over with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Variation – for a creamier dish, use less milk and substitute with fresh cream.

You can also use other vegetables in season, such as broccoli and tomatoes. Or perhaps canned tuna instead of chicken and bacon. Another method would be to fry the tuna with the onion before making the sauce, and using the tuna and cheese sauce as a topping. This can be seen in my other recipe.

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