This easy one-pan cheesy chicken and potato bake is made with leftover chicken and buttery fried potatoes in a creamy cheesy sauce. It's the perfect way to use up leftover chicken and makes a delicious mid-week meal in next to no time.
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Creamy potato bake with chicken
I do love a quick and easy meal that comes together in minutes but tastes as though you've spent ages in the kitchen.
And this quick and easy cheesy potato bake is exactly that. It's like potatoes Dauphenoise with added chicken - which makes it a complete meal in one pan.
The dish is made by frying potatoes and onions in butter until they are almost cooked. Then we make a simple cheesy sauce in the same pan, before stirring in the chicken.
Finally, after a sprinkling of more cheese, the potato chicken bake is cooked in the oven until it's golden brown and delicious.
What could be easier?
And what could taste better? Cheese and potatoes go so well together, and add some juicy chicken pieces and a side of freshly steamed veg, and you're good to go!
Why I think you'll love this recipe
- Firstly, this potato-chicken bake is economical. It's a great way of using up leftover chicken either from a homemade roast, or from a shop-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Secondly, it saves on electricity because you only need to use your oven for 10 minutes to brown the cheese on top. The rest of the dish is cooked in one pan on the stove (so you save on washing up too).
- Thirdly it is so easy to make - you don't need any fancy ingredients, and you can have this dish on the table in 45 minutes or less.
- And finally - it tastes delicious - you'll be guaranteed empty plates.
And when you've tried this one, I'd like to recommend you take a look at this French onion chicken casserole which is also made with potatoes (but has an entirely different flavour).
What you will need
Equipment
You will need a pan that can be used on the stove and then transferred to the oven. I use a shallow dutch oven made out of cast iron that can go from the hob into the oven.
Ingredients
**Get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this cheesy potato and chicken bake on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
This recipe will feed 4 people. Please use the quantities are a guide - it depends on how much chicken you have as to how many vegetables you will need.
Chicken - For 4 people you will need 2 to 3 cups of leftover roast chicken (or rotisserie chicken) that has been cut into pieces.
Potatoes - you will need roughly the same amount of potatoes as chicken. I prefer to use waxy potatoes (charlottes or jersey royals) because they hold their shape and texture better in the sauce. If you use floury potatoes you may end up with runny mashed potatoes.
Onions - you can use either brown or red onions.
Red pepper (capsicum) - this adds a splash of colour to what would otherwise be a rather bland-looking dish. You can use either bell peppers or sweet peppers.
Mushrooms - I love the combination of chicken and mushrooms, but you can leave out the mushrooms if your family doesn't like them. I used button mushrooms which I halved but you could use whatever mushrooms you prefer.
Butter - this is used to fry the vegetables, and also forms the base for the sauce.
Flour - for thickening the sauce. You can use plain all-purpose flour.
Milk - I like to use full-fat but you can use semi-skimmed if you prefer. For a creamier sauce, you can substitute half a cup of milk with half a cup of single or pouring cream.
Cheese - I used a sharp cheddar cheese. Some of the cheese is melted into the sauce, and the remainder is sprinkled on top of the dish before it goes into the oven.
Salt and black pepper - for seasoning.
What to do
Wash the potatoes and pepper and remove the seeds and membranes from the pepper. Peel the onions. There is no need to peel the potatoes if you are using a thin-skinned potato. Cut the vegetables (including the mushrooms) into approximately half-inch-sized pieces.
Melt the butter in an oven-proof dish and add the potatoes, onions and peppers.
Fry gently on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the onions are softened and the potatoes are starting to brown. This can take up to 10 minutes.
If the onions start to brown, turn down the heat slightly.
Stir in the mushrooms.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Note - I find this dish does require salt or it will be very bland.
Cover the pan with a lid and leave on a low heat for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture.
This step is important because if you don't cook the mushrooms now, they will release their moisture into the sauce and make it runny.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Mix well to remove any lumps.
Return the pan to the heat and stir in the milk (and cream if using). Continue to stir on a gentle heat until the mixture thickens.
Stir in the cheese until it has melted then taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Stir in the pieces of chicken.
Sprinkle with a little additional cheese.
Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes until the cheese has turned golden.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a side dish of green vegetables.
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Variations
You can stir frozen peas into the potato and chicken mixture once the sauce has thickened.
If you have other leftover vegetables, stir those in too - and you won't even have to make extra vegetables to go with it.
For a crispier topping, mix half a cup of Panko breadcrumbs into the grated cheese before sprinkling on top.
FAQ
I wouldn't recommend freezing this dish for the following reasons.
1. The recipe is made using leftover chicken that has already been cooked.
2. The sauce may split on defrosting and make the dish unappealing.
Yes, you can prepare the dish one day ahead, store it in the refrigerator and bake it according to the recipe instructions the following day.
Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator for one day and reheated either in the oven or in the microwave.
Save for later
If you would like to try this cheesy potato and chicken bake yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so that you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
You may also like to try some of these other recipes made with leftovers:
📋The recipe
Cheesy chicken and potato bake
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Dutch oven or
- Oven-safe frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 cups leftover roast chicken cut into pieces
- 6 medium waxy potatoes washed and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large red pepper (or sweet pepper) deseeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup mushrooms halved or quartered depending on size
- 2 ounces / 60 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons / 30 grams plain flour
- 2 cups / 480 ml milk substitute ½ cup milk with ½ cup single cream (120 ml)
- ¾ cup / 90 grams grated cheddar cheese for sauce
- ¼ cup / 30 grams grated cheddar cheese for topping
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in an oven-proof dish and add the potatoes, onions and peppers.Fry gently on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the onions are softened and the potatoes are starting to brown. This can take up to 10 minutes.If the onions start to brown, turn down the heat slightly.6 medium waxy potatoes, 2 medium onions, 2 ounces / 60 grams butter, 1 large red pepper (or sweet pepper)
- Stir in the mushrooms.Season with salt and black pepper to taste.1 cup mushrooms, Salt and ground black pepper
- Cover the pan with a lid and leave on a low heat for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture.This step is important because if you don't cook the mushrooms now, they will release their moisture into the sauce and make it turn runny.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Mix well to remove any lumps.2 tablespoons / 30 grams plain flour
- Return the pan to the heat and stir in the milk (and cream if using). Continue to stir on a gentle heat until the mixture thickens.2 cups / 480 ml milk
- Stir in the cheese until it has melted then taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.¾ cup / 90 grams grated cheddar cheese
- Stir in the chicken pieces.2 - 3 cups leftover roast chicken
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.¼ cup / 30 grams grated cheddar cheese
- Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes until the cheese has turned golden.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a side dish of green vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Rose says
Husband and I thought it was delicious,the only difference I made to your recipe was to use Himalayan salt and spice blend it was easy and just what a tired lady needed !😋
VJ says
Thank you for letting me know Rose. I love an easy meal too!
Fran says
Thank you ... so simple, so fast, and so GOOD.
I was looking for a way to use up a poached chicken breast and leftover backed potato ... along with some leftover cream from another recipe. This tasted WONDERFUL and as made with good, natural ingredients. Very much appreciate your sharing this.
VJ says
Thank you for the lovely comment - makes me very happy!