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Chicken and veggies in a creamy sauce topped with crispy potatoes. My Creamy Chicken and Potato Bake is a whole meal in one dish! Perfect cold day comfort food.
“Lovely, everyone husband, 3 kids ate the lot. Very nice indeed.”
Nicky’s Notes
This started as a “use what’s in the fridge” Sunday bake and turned into a proper family favourite. I love how simple ingredients become something special.
Cheesy-creamy chicken, a few veggies (that pass the kid-test when they’re in that dreamy sauce) and a gorgeous layer of crispy sliced potato.
It’s got Lancashire hotpot vibes, but with chicken and cream instead of lamb and gravy (and I love them both equally).
Table of Contents
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Fry the onion, garlic and carrots, then add the wine and simmer. Stir in cream, Dijon, the cheeses and seasoning. Add cooked chicken and spinach, heat through, then transfer to a baking dish and top with thinly sliced potatoes. Brush with butter and bake until golden.
Recipe Tips
- You can miss out the step of transferring to a baking dish if the frying pan you used for the filling is oven-proof. Simply layer the potatoes on top of the sauce in the frying pan.
- Don’t want to use wine? Swap it out for 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice or cider vinegar.
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
This is a meal in itself, but if you do like to add a side or two, try:
- Slices of crusty bread – for mopping up that sauce
- Garlic bread (who can resist)
- Some roasted broccoli – if you’d like to increase the veg.
Creamy Chicken and Potato Bake
Equipment
- Mandoline (optional – for slicing potatoes thinly)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 215 ml (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) double/heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100 g (1 packed cup) mature cheddar cheese grated
- 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- pinch dried thyme
- 375 g (13 oz) cooked chicken approx. 3 chicken breasts, shredded
- 100 g (3 1/4 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- 350 g (3/4 lb) baby new potatoes thinly sliced (no need to peel)
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- fresh thyme to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly until the onion softens.1 tbsp oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 3 medium carrots
- Add the wine, bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the cream and mustard and stir together. Heat through until almost boiling, then stir in both cheeses, along with a good pinch of salt, pepper, and dried thyme.4 tbsp white wine, 215 ml (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) double/heavy cream, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 100 g (1 packed cup) mature cheddar cheese, 50 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, pinch dried thyme
- Add the cooked chicken and spinach and heat through until the spinach wilts.375 g (13 oz) cooked chicken, 100 g (3 1/4 packed cups) baby spinach leaves
- Spoon the chicken mixture into a large baking dish, then layer the potatoes on top, starting from the outside and working inwards. Once covered in the potato slices, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle on a pinch of salt and pepper.350 g (3/4 lb) baby new potatoes, 1 tbsp melted butter
- Place in the oven to bake for 30-40 mins, until the potatoes are tender and golden brown.
- Top with fresh thyme before serving.fresh thyme to garnish
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first posted in March 2018. Updated since with tips and for housekeeping reasons.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make the chicken and potato bake and bake it in the oven for just 15 minutes – until the potatoes are lightly cooked (they won’t be fully cooked). Then remove from the oven, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
To reheat, take the dish out of the fridge an hour before you want to bake it (to take the chill off), then bake at 170C/325F (fan) for 20 minutes with a lid/foil on. Then turn up the oven to 200C/400F (fan), take the lid/foil off and cook for a further 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and crisp and the dish is piping hot throughout.
Par-cooking the dish in the oven before cooling and refrigerating it helps to prevent oxidation of the potatoes (when potatoes turn brown/grey when exposed to oxygen).
Yes, make the chicken and potato bake and bake it in the oven for just 15 minutes – until the potatoes are lightly cooked (they won’t be fully cooked). Then remove from the oven, cool, cover and freeze.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then take the dish out of the fridge one hour before baking, to take the chill off.
Then reheat as per the ‘make-ahead’ instructions above.
If you are confident you can use a knife and chopping board and slice them on the side. Alternatively you can used a Mandolin (affiliate link) to get the perfect thickness slices. I don’t bother to peel the potatoes. If you’re using baby new potatoes like I have, then you don’t notice the skin.
Worried that buying a mandolin for this recipe might not be worth it? They come in really handy we have quite a few other recipes that use a mandolin; Lancashire Hotpot, Easy Ratatouille, Shoestring Fries or homemade Coleslaw.
🍲 More Creamy Chicken dinners
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Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast? would it need cooking longer?
Okay, Chris’ wife has got it going on. We made this recipe tonight to a T…just kidding, I threw this together like Justin Wilson, not measuring a dang thing (becuse I ain’t washing dishes that don’t need to be used). Only thing we didn’t have at our disposal was spinach but It. Was. Good!!! Perfect cheesiness, perfect richness, and if it became too rich, cut in a potato (I might have been lazy and put butter pats on the taters instead of brushing them). Thank you for this recipe and I hope you have come to grips with early rising…or got Chris in line. 😉
Gorgeous recipe, added bacon to and was absolutely divine
Omg! Loved this, made it with vintage cheddar from my favourite butchers ‘Shukers’.
Absolutely delicious 😋
Hands down one of my faves!! I have made it multiple times. I have added mushrooms, used broth instead of wine, doubled the Dijon and garlic, and I salt and pepper the potatoes on top with sprinkled Parmesan. Amazing made the original way and amazing if you mix it up too!
Easy to follow instructions and delicious outcome, whoever made this recipe is an angel.
Made a lower fat version substituting chicken stock and yoghurt for the cream and omitting the butter, using some of the grated cheese on top. Also used leek in place of carrot. worked really well with seared fresh chicken breasts and a longer cooking time.
We loved this, although it was a struggle to stretch it out to feed four adults.
What could I use as a substitute for the white wine?
I usually substitute white wine in recipes with stock and it works well
Lovely , eveyone husband , 3 kids ate the lot. Very nice indeed.