This easy chicken recipe can be made in advance and frozen, ready to be pulled out and enjoyed when there's just no time to cook
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts, skin on
- 6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 11/2 tbsp plain flour
- 200ml semi-skimmed milk
- 50ml double cream
- 326g can sweetcorn, drained
- 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- Handful chopped fresh parsley
Method
- 1. Put the oil into a frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, brown the chicken breasts skin-side-down for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 2. Wipe the pan with kitchen paper. Melt the butter in the pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- 3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually add the milk and stir well until smooth. Stir in the cream. Add the bacon, sweetcorn, butter beans and parsley. Season.
- 4. Spoon into a freezer- and oven-proof 1.5-2 litre dish. Sit the chicken on top. Cool, wrap, label and freeze.
- 5. The day before you eat, thaw in the fridge overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with green beans.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 647kcals, 38.2g fat (17g saturated), 53.5g protein, 23.7g carbs, 8.5g sugar, 4.7g salt
Chef's tip
To eat straightaway, put the dish into the oven (preheated to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6) at the end of step 3 and bake for 25 minutes.
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: A soft, fruity, Chardonnay-Semillon from Australia would go well.