Chicken & Potato Gratin

 

 

I am always looking for new and delicious ways to cook chicken breasts. I eat chicken breasts more often than any other kind of protein. They are nutritious and usually fairly affordable. They can often be dry however, so you really need to cook them with care.

I watch this channel on YouTube called Lumi Life. It is a happy mix of shopping, living and cooking in Finland. Yes, I am an armchair grocery tourist.  I love seeing what kinds of foods, etc. are available in foreign countries along with their costs.

I also love to experience the culture of foreign countries and this is very easily done by watching channels like this one. I like this one. It's very pleasant.

The other day she posted a video in which she showed all that she had cooked for her family and eaten in a day. It all looked really yummy. There was a rolled filled omelet for breakfast, a salmon and spinach quiche for lunch and then this delicious looking chicken dish for supper.

 

Everything looked delicious actually.  I was especially drawn to the chicken dish.  Honey mustard glazed chicken breasts baked on top of a rich and creamy potato gratin. Oh, my mouth was literally watering as I watched her put it together. 

I took notes and went back and watched it a few times so that I could put together the recipe for it and share it with you here on my blog.  I really hope that you will give it a go!  It was delicious.

If you have gotten this far, thank you!  I appreciate it! You have probably noticed that I finally managed to get a "Jump To" button on the page.  I am sure this will be appreciated by anyone who is impatient or in a hurry.  

Do note however, by jumping down, you will miss any hints or tips and possibly some extra recipe instructions or variations on the recipe that you won't find otherwise, although in all truth, I do try to write my recipes in such a way as my learning challenged daughter can understand them and cook them.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN & POTATO GRATIN

Just a few simple ingredients.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way possible. You will need a 7 by 11-inch shallow casserole dish for this, or a one liter/qt casserole dish.

For the potatoes:

• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
• 2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• salt and black pepper to taste
• You will also need a few TBS of grated cheese to finish

 

Each of my potatoes was about half the size of my fist, so not overly large.   Any good all rounder potato will work well.  I peeled them because I felt that the skins would not work well here, but you do whatever you like.

I used salted butter.

I used whipping cream for the heavy cream. This worked very well and thickened up nicely upon standing. It was lovely and rich.

If you have fresh thyme, by all means chop it up and use it. You will need at least one teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme. You could also use other herbs if you wished.  Marjoram, summer savory, chives. All would work well.

There is no substitute for Dijon mustard. It is not overly vinegary like North American mustard. It has a lovely mellow flavor and heat without being over the top. English mustard would be far too hot.

If you only have small chicken breasts, you may not need to cut them in half horizontally.  Mine were rather large. I think one alone would have fed two people nicely. You could also use thighs for this, but bear in mind they are fattier, so trim them well and they will take longer to cook. You will also need roughly two thighs per person, laid out flat.

I used a local Nova Scotia honey.

I used Parmesan cheese which went very nicely.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN & POTATO GRATIN

This is a lot easier to make than it looks. Trust me on this!

Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 1-liter shallow casserole dish. (Mine is 7 by 11 inches in size, 2 inches deep.)

Prepare your potatoes, peel, slice and rinse in cold water and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or so, until quite fragrant. Pour in the cream and season with some salt and pepper. Whisk in the mustard and thyme. Bring just to the boil.

 

Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil and then leave to simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

Pour the potato mixture into your prepared baking dish, leveling it out. Slice your chicken breasts in half horizontally and place them on top of the potatoes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Whisk together the mustard and honey for the chicken and spread this over top of the chicken breasts evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour until the potatoes are bubbling and tender and the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Sprinkle with a bit of cheese. (You can choose what you have. Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, Jack, etc.) Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes or so before serving up.

 

Sorry about my not so tasty looking photographs. I hope they don't put you off as this was incredibly delicious.  The creamy sauce thickened on standing and the chicken was tender, juicy and loaded with bags of flavor!

Altogether this was very delicious I enjoyed some with some green beans on the side and send some over to my next-door neighbor who also really enjoyed it! You know what they say, a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled!

 

Got chicken breasts?  I got you covered. I have a multitude of ways to cook this very versatile cut of poultry deliciously. Yes, I've been doing this a long time!

CHICKEN MARGHERITA(small batch) - Although this is a small batch recipe for one person, it can very easily be multiplied to feed more. Tender and juicy chicken breasts baked with sweet plum tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and flavorful pesto on top. Ready in just a few steps, it’s a delicious and easy meal that looks like it is a lot more work than it is. Nobody but you need know how easy it really was!

HONEY & SESAME CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD - With this you get a cold sesame noodle salad adorned with perfectly cooked chicken, and plenty of green crunchy tender stem broccoli. It makes for a perfect make ahead family supper for those days when you are really busy and know you won't have a lot of time on your hands. This is absolutely delicious! If you are fond of Asian flavors, you will love this!

Yield: 3 to 4

Author: Marie Rayner

Chicken & Potatoes Gratin

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 H & 10 MInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 40 M

A rich and creamy potato bake, topped with honey mustard glazed chicken breasts prior to baking to rich and golden perfection. Simple and easy to make and oh so delicious.

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
• 2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• salt and black pepper to taste
• You will also need a few TBS of grated cheese to finish

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 1-liter shallow casserole dish. (Mine is 7 by 11 inches in size, 2 inches deep.)
2. Prepare your potatoes, peel, slice and rinse in cold water and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or so, until quite fragrant. Pour in the cream and season with some salt and pepper. Whisk in the mustard and thyme. Bring just to the boil.
4. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil and then leave to simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
5. Pour the potato mixture into your prepared baking dish, leveling it out. Slice your chicken breasts in half horizontally and place them on top of the potatoes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
6. Whisk together the mustard and honey for the chicken and spread this over top of the chicken breasts evenly.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour until the potatoes are bubbling and tender and the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
8. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese. (You can choose what you have. Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, Jack, etc.) Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
9. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes or so before serving up.

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