I’m really enjoying my slow cooker at the moment, quick preparation and then the house fills with lovely cooking smells for hours. (My wife says it smells like her grandparents house when there’s something in the slow cooker.) This is a simple chicken casserole I knocked up the other day, slightly spiced with the chilli. Next time I’m under instructions to remove the skin, and use separate bones which can be removed before serving… then it’ll bump up the approval rating to 3 apparently.
Serves 4, preparation time ½ hr, cooking time 6 hrs, 2/4 (marred, for my wife, by the skin and bone fiddling).
Ingredients
- 6 free range chicken legs/thighs
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 small to medium potatoes, sliced
- 1 sml leek, chopped
- 2 small onions, chopped
- Red chilli, deseeded
- Small bunch of thyme twigs, tied with string
- 1 bulb fennel, chopped
- ½ bottle white wine
- ¼ pint chicken stock
Preparation
- (I had large chicken leg and thigh pieces, so halved them with a cleaver)
- Wash and cut the potato into slices the thickness of a pound coin
- Wash and chop carrots into rounds the thickness of a couple of a thumb
- Wash and roughly chop the leek into rounds about the thickness of a thumb
- Peel and finely chop the onion
- Deseed and chop the chilli into four or so pieces lengthways and crossways to expose the flesh into the casserole
- Lay the potato slices into a layer at the bottom (I read somewhere that the bottom of a slow cooker can overheat meat at the bottom, so I like to think of this as a layer of insulation)
- Brown off the chicken in a pan, with the garlic and onion
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker on the layer of potato, and tuck the chilli and thyme in around it
- Pop the rest of the vegetables on top
- Drain the oil out of the pan
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any caramelised chicken from the bottom
- Pour the wine into the slow cooker and top up with chicken stock
- Put the slow cooker on high for 2 hours, then switch to low for 4 hours (or more)
i will defo be trying this recipe sounds gorgeous. i bought a slow cooker just after xmas ive made 3 beefs stews before i got thumbs up a sausage casserole they loved and my first and only attempt at chicken casserole was bland according to gordan ramsey (my bf) lol so il try this one sounds yummy
Hi Andrea, good luck with Mr Ramsay!
I tried beef stew with a dark ale, which turned out nicely. I also pleased with a nice chicken curry the other weekend, which I’ve written up on Fork’d.
You are using free range chicken, aren’t you?
hi simon ! yes im using free range chicken wouldnt use anything else after i watched about them poor chickens on tv not long ago.
andrea
Simon,
Trawling on the net for a chicken casserole recipe for a slow cooker and found yours. Was given one for my birthday, will be trying this over the week end. Done a beef and a sausage casserole in it so far, both OK.
Thanks for tip about skin – women always comment on chicken skin.
Roger
Hi folks, new to all of this, love anything quick and tasty but do we really have to brown the meat before we place it in the slow cooker?
After all, it will cook in the slow cooker won’t it?
Hi folks, new to all of this, love anything quick and tasty but do we really have to brown the meat before we place it in the slow cooker?
After all, it will cook in the slow cooker won’t it?
Hi Kevin. There’s no obligation to brown the meat; as you say, it will cook if you don’t. What I feel you get from browning the meat is some lovely caramelised meat bits, which will give a more savoury flavour, whereas without you get a more subtle flavour.
Wow! Thanks for the super quick reply, I will try both ways – my kids will tell me which they prefer-they dont hold much back!
Incidently, with regards to chopping veg, I find this a real drag and very time consuming, is there a gadget available to do this, My mother had a chop-o-matic thing but I considered this too small, any Ideas/recommendations
Sorry Kevin, I stick to knives for this kind of thing
Got a WOW! factor from the wife and kids!
Brilliant recipe. Is it ok to freeze left overs, if so how do I re-heat? Can I do the defrosting and re heat in the slow-cooker, say, over night?
Still a drag to chop veg with a knife (Guess I am lazy) will any readers offer help / suggestion with a tool.
Incidently, is there anything one can do with the chicken skin, My father always considered the skin as a luxury (when roasted)and we all had a small piece (Sounds a bit absurd I know)but I hate waste!
Hi Kevin, re freezing left overs… I’ve never reheated something from frozen in a slow cooker, and so couldn’t recommend anything. What you suggest sounds reasonable though, and I guess you could test the internal temperature of the chicken pieces with a meat thermometer (google around for a suggested temp).
I know what you mean about crispy roast skin; how about seasoning, then frying the skin in as small an amount of oil as you can get away with, or put it in the casserole and “rescue” it before serving? The problem is not so much taste, as that in western cuisine we don’t like that casseroled skin kind of texture.
Hi Simon, I don’t have a slow cooker, but love the sound of the recipe, can I use this recipe with a normal casserole dish in the oven? If so, for how long and at what temp?
Hi Andy, I see no reason why this can’t work in the oven… pick a “normal” casserole temp and cooking time and apply it to this receipe. Check the meat is cooked through before you serve, though.
Hi guys was just looking for a chicken casserole recipe for my slow cooker as all I seem to do in mine is beef stews. Anyway, just thought you should know that my booklet says you shouldn’t reheat in a slow cooker as it does not get up to the highest temperature needed quick enough so best to defrost (if freezing) and reheat in a casserole dish in the over. Usually about 30 mins on gas 6 does it but need to check if sauce is bubbling and meat hot enough before eating. Hope this helps! Going now to try this recipe for the in-laws!! (Oh also it says you should really brown meat before using in the slow cooker.)
Hi Susan, thanks for popping by. Thanks for the reheating tip. Does your book state why it’s best to brown the meat? I’ve always assumed this was for taste, but would be interested to hear otherwise.
hi Simon, I just bought a slow cooker and googled for a chicken casserole recipe, and found yours! Will definitely try it out this week. The only thing is that I’m out of the house all day so need to set the timer on the cooker to turn on and off, so I can’t change heat settings. Do you think I could cook it for 6 hours on medium?
Hey Simon, thanks for posting this recipe. I have a beef stew on the go for the first use of my cheapy slow cooker. £9.96 from tesco till 21st October! Bargain!
Can you publish the beef stew with ale recipe as that sounds great!
Rich
Hi Simon,its me again!
Just to let you know that I tried the chicken casserole without browning the meat first (Still Lazy) it didnt taste the same, i didnt tell my wife and two boys, but they kept insisting that something was missing…..oh well!
I would still like a short cut on the vegtable side of things as it seems to take ages, has anyone got a device or a tip?
I am running out of sticking plaster for my fingers….. :0(
Kev
Hi Kevin
Buy ready chopped veg!
Hi Sarah.
Yes, I think I will!
Thanks for your reply :0)
Kev.
You can get all sorts of veg ready prepared and frozen. Onions, peppers etc. And just scrub the potatoes and put them in with the skin on. You can even get bricks of frozen mashed potatoe! Makes it much easier to have all the raw ingredients ready to go!
Yep, thank you,
My lads have also come up with tinned veg,
Cheers Rich!
To all, I never knew there was so much pre-prepared veg,,,and it is at a good price! OK not as cheap as DIY, but reasonable.
Thank you all…Enjoy your cooking….
Kev.
I do beef cassarole in my slow cooker for seven and a half hours and it turns out fine but I want to try sausage cassarole and get it right ive tried that once for the same time (7 and a half hours) but the sausages end up mushy and a kind of too soft texture does anyone have a good reciepe for sausage cassarole in the slow cooker and should i fry them first because they looked pale on the outside too?
thanks
Hi Madge.
I cannot claim this reciepe as my own, I found it whilst trawling the internet, none the less it is good!
Sausage casserole
Dry fry sausages or grill to brown, put chopped onions, carrots, peppers, leek (1 of each), a tin of sweet corn, tin of tomatoes, some tomato purée, and a small dash of chili powder if required, into slow cooker. Chop sausages and add to slow cooker cook on medium for 6+ hours. Hope you like it! Let me know!
Kindest regards,
Kev.
thanks for the quick reply I cant use peppers and leeks my daughter wont eat them and I was thinking more of a gravy mix than tomatos also my slow cooker only has a low or high setting I use the high setting for the beef for 7 and half hours one of the posters above said she has tried sausage cassarole in the slow cooker I would like to hear the method she used from her please thank you
ive done a sausage casserole in the oven, im sure it can be adapted for the slow cooker though. i used 12 sausages, a tin of cheap beans, tin of cheap tomatoes, onion and carrots. brown the sausages in a frying pan, put them in the casserole dish. then i softened the carrots and onion in the fat that came off the sausages. bung everything in the dish, add a squirt of tomato puree and about half a pint of stock and cook til done! i left it 2 – 3 hours in the oven on quite low.
question about the chicken casserole recipe though, what size slow cooker do you have? mine is a large one and im looking for recipes to fill it so i can freeze some.
Hi Jeni,
I like the recipe, its a variation of one of mine- i would cook for 4~6 hours on medium in the slow cooker, but always check food is hot. A lot of slow cooker meals are trial and error from what i can asertain! I cant answer for everyone but I tend to double up on the ingredients (Not the stock though, you need less liquid in a slow cooker) and adjust the timing accordingly,about an hour extra seems to do it, I do find that my “boys” tend to devour the lot so cant offer tips on freezing- indeed i could do with help on that front! Hope this is of some help?
Kindest regards,
Kev.
Hi this may be stupid question but what would you have this with? would you put rice in the slow cooker with it? Thaks
Hi Katie, not a stupid question, depending on time and what my lads fancy, I tend to serve with boiled or mashed spuds. You could add potatoes (cut in slices about as thick as a pound coin) to your slow cooker. As with the mash, you would have to boil rice seperate.
I have also served with dumplings.
Experiment and enjoy your cooking!
Kindest regards
Kevin
Hi, Love the sound of the chicken recipe, going to try it now.. also.. to Kevin, if you can’t get the ready choppped veg I have recently purchased a gadget from the ‘Pampered Chef’ whih is great for chopping up!
Hi Ann, thanks for the Info, will check it out.
Enjoy your cooking! Oh! and Happy Christmas / New Year.
I just tried your recipe today and it was really tasty!
Hi all, Just tried this, it’s good!
Roast pork and apple cider!
Took 30 mins to prepare and 7 hours to cook!
It should produce 8 servings but was so good my two boys demolished second helpings!
Ingredients
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 apple, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
475 ml apple cider
355 ml water
salt and pepper to taste
0.9 g ground ginger
30 g all-purpose flour
1 (3 pound) pork loin roast
10 ml vegetable oil
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
4 large carrots, roughly chopped
Directions
1.Combine 1/4 of the onion, 1/2 of the apple, and the garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to slow cooker along with the apple cider and water.
2.Combine the salt, pepper, ginger and flour in a shallow container. Gently press the roast onto the flour mixture to coat all sides. Brush off any excess flour. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Brown the pork in the hot oil, turning until golden on all sides. Place the browned roast in the slow cooker and scatter the celery and the remaining onion and apple on top. Cook on low for 4 hours, then add carrots. Cook for an additional 3 hours.
3.(Suggestion) Remove the cooked roast to a heated platter, arrange carrots around roast and serve with the strained juices from the slow cooker.
I served this with mashed potatoe, mashed swede and cabbage but you can use your imagination!
Enjoy your cooking! Kevin.
Hello
Am currently in the thro’s of trying your recipe – whilst my chicken is browning I have a query re the recipe.
The ingredients list does not contain garlic yet you mention frying the chicken with onions and garlic in the method.
I have added a clove of garlic as I like garlic but just wanted to make sure it wasn’t an error and it should be the leeks and onion I am browning with the chicken??
Thanks and can’t wait to eat it – this is my first attempt at using my new crock pot so am very excited to try it…later, much later
)
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Kevin here! This is not my Blog and I have nothing to do with Mr. Simon Wheatley.
I just like the idea of connecting with folk who enjoy cooking as much as I do. I hope I am not treading on anyone’s toes here, but I would like to add that I noticed the anomaly also, and I simply added a clove of garlic (crushed) when I browned the meat.
I added the leeks to the crock pot as direction 10.
The results were really good. Hope that helps! Enjoy your cooking!
Kind regards, Kevin.
Hi all,
Im looking for a GOOD Chicken Chasseur recipe for my slow cooker/crockpot (Anyone know the difference ? )
Thanks,
Lynnlee.
Hi Lynnlee,
I believe Chicken Chasseur would be claimed by the French!
They are basically the same recipes with variations depending on the cook. If I am wrong somebody please tell me!
Kindest regards,
Kevin
hiya, have just put everything in as directed but my slow cooker doesn’t have a medium setting do you think it will do it any harm to cook it on high for about 6 hours+, many thanks
Hi all,
Just got a query about the “pork in apple cider” recipe that kevin posted and was wondering if “Bulmers” cider is ok to cook with as thats all i’ve got in at the moment!?
It’s one less to drink, but i don’t mind the sacrifice for the sake of a good family meal!
Thanks
Andy
Hi Folks, sorry for lack of response but I recently broke my leg in two places and am feeling sorry for myself!
Anyway, probably a bit late now but: Margaret, 6 hours sounds OK. Just check that it is cooked. It’s all about experimentation!
Andy,”Bulmers” is fine, as is any cider, but I would probably cry all the way to the kitchen table at the thought of using good stuff!
Use the cheapest you can get. It saves money and will stop me having nightmares! All the best to everyone, now I can get back to the self-pity.
Sorry to hear about the leg. It ended up being cooked on high for about 8 hours but was absolutely gorgeous, many thanks anyways
Hi all, still limping around and cooking-
YOU must try this it is delicious.
I dont claim this as my own, but I have modified it to suit my ‘boys’ taste.
They report ‘THIS IS THE BEST’
SLOW COOKED WHOLE CHICKEN
whole chicken, skin removed (Ladies, size dosent matter, as long as it fits-in the pot.)
120 ml chicken broth
80 ml soy sauce
80 ml olive oil
60 ml honey
5 ml Worcestershire sauce
10 ml balsamic vinegar (prefered, but malt vinegar ok.)
10 ml lemon juice
5 ml sesame oil
Approx. 3 large garlic cloves, (Put through a garlic press)
DIRECTIONS
Remove skin from chicken,(Horrible job!) Dont forget to empty inner cavity. Place inside the slow cooker. ( Not the cavity, the chicken)
In a bowl, stir together the chicken broth, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Pour mixture over chicken, and cover.
Cook chicken on low setting for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high setting.
Place chicken breast down, dont bother to turn it over, there is no need.
Serve with rice of your choice (I chose ‘Savoury rice’) and pour ‘jus’ over.
THIS IS SO GOOD, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, Enjoy your cooking, and invite me round, I am on crutches so will need a lot of room. Kindest regards Kevin.
Hi all, just discovered how to clean the crock in the crock pot!
This is almost effortless, fill crock with hot water and add two table spoons of dish washer powder, leave for 30 mins or so to soak and then wash as normal.
All the baked on bits are removed and the crock is spotless!
Best wishes to all,
Kev.
Hi everyone.
I’ve just purchased a slow cooker and came across this page while looking for recipes for chicken. Not only do l have some tried and trusted dishes but l also gained a few tips on using my new appliance.
Many thanks all.
PS. Kevin, l hope the leg has healed well.
Sandra.
hi,
I like chicken , your recipes is looking too tasty , i will try this at my home, thanks for new taste
Quick question:
Kev, is the chicken broth you mention above in the slow cooked whole chicken recipe, the same as chicken stock?
Thanks
Sandra.
I Folks!
Dear Sandra, thanks for asking about my leg. It is on the mend but i’m not a spring chicken any more so I will have to re-think the 2012 and possibly give it a miss! I still have the strength to open wine bottles and pour the stuff down my neck so it can’t be all bad!
I must admit that I did use a tin of ‘Chicken broth’ for convenience,(it was in the cupboard) but I am sure chicken stock will be just as good!Please let me know what you thought of your meal!
Dear Pooja, Give it a go!
I hope you will enjoy it! Please let me know how you get on.
Kindest regards to all!
Kev.
Hi Kev, glad to hear the leg is getting better. Thanks for the info – l tried the slow cooked whole chicken and it was fabulous. Also washed it down with a couple of glasses of fermented grapes. All good! Thanks again. Sandra