This recipe truly is pure comfort and is perfect for this time of year (it’s currently Halloween and I’m FREEZING). It’s also incredibly simple to make! Follow me…
Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli
These really are a gorgeous trio of ingredients. Add them to a cheesy sauce and top with bagel chips and it’s game over.
Preparing the broccoli
We’re actually going to roast the broccoli before mixing it into the sauce. I do this for a few different reasons:
Part-cook – to get the party started before finishing off in the bake. Water – roasting helps pull out some of the moisture from the broccoli. This is an essential step so it doesn’t leak out too much water in the bake and turn it watery. This is also why we don’t steam or boil the broccoli. Flavour – roasting the broccoli helps develop flavour. Those little charred bits are extra flavour!
As for the chicken and bacon, we’re going to start by frying the bacon and rendering down the fat. From there, we can use the fat to fry the chicken. I like using chicken thigh as it’s more fatty and flavoursome than breast and is much more robust during the double cooking (frying then baking). Process shots: toss broccoli in oil, salt and pepper (photo 1), roast (photo 2), add bacon to pan (photo 3), fry (photo 4), remove and leave fat (photo 5), fry chicken (photo 6).
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli
We’re going to make the sauce with our standard butter, flour and milk, alongside some vegetable stock for some added flavour. From there, we’ll go in with the cheese, alongside some chives, Dijon mustard and nutmeg.
What kind of cheese should I use?
I like a mix of cheddar and gouda. I initially tried this recipe with all cheddar and found it slightly overbearing. The gouda mellows out the strong flavour and makes the sauce a little more creamy. Process shots: melt butter and stir in flour (photo 1), whisk in milk and stock (photo 2), stir in mustard, chives and seasoning (photo 3), stir in cheese (photo 4), add chicken, broccoli and bacon (photo 5), stir (photo 6).
Chicken and Broccoli Bagel Bake
To go on top of the filling we’re going to add some sliced bagel. This makes a gorgeous crispy/crunchy layer to go on top which is a huge step up from regular breadcrumbs!
What kind of bagel should I use?
I’ve used regular bagels and sesame-seeded bagels in the past – both are great! To film the recipe I actually used ‘red onion and chive bagels’ which I’m undecided whether I liked or not! If you’re unsure just go regular and branch out from there. Process shots: halve bagel (photo 1), slice into chips (photo 2), add filling to baking dish and cool (photo 3), top with bagel chips then spray with oil and bake (photo 4).
Serving Chicken and Broccoli Bake
I don’t serve this with any Sides – I find it hearty enough as it is! Just let it cool for a couple of minutes before digging in, otherwise you’ll lose the roof of your mouth! For another delicious bake check out my Tarragon Chicken Bake and Chicken & Chorizo Bake! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken and broccoli bagel bake shall we?!
How to make Chicken and Broccoli Bake (Full Recipe & Video)
