Mary Berry’s Chicken Casserole with herbs, mushrooms and bacon in a rich creamy sauce. An easy and flavour-packed one pot recipe that’s also low carb and Keto Friendly.
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Mary Berry is the queen of unfussy cooking and baking. I love her simple recipes and straightforward instructions. This chicken and herb casserole is a Mary Berry favourite!
You can’t go wrong with tender chicken thighs cooked with white wine, bacon, mushrooms and herbs! The finishing touch, creme fraiche, turns this one-pot recipe into something truly special.
Mary Berry’s Chicken Casserole is topped with crispy fried sage leaves which I normally would go the extra mile for but they are not essential!
If you follow a low carb / Keto diet, make sure to use xanthan gum to thicken the sauce. Serve with cauliflower or celeriac mash and steamed vegetables.
Here’s what you will need
You will need an oven-safe casserole dish for this recipe. I have rejigged the method of this recipe to simplify it and speed it up a bit. You can cook the casserole on the stove or partially in the oven.
- Chicken thighs: I used bone in and skin on thighs but you can use boneless and skinless if you prefer
- Smoked streaky bacon
- Onions and garlic
- Mushrooms – small white button mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms
- White wine – dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- Chicken stock from a cube
- Creme fraiche or thick double cream
- A little cornflour or xanthan gum to thicken the sauce if needed
- Fresh sage leaves, dried thyme, bay leaves
How to make Mary Berry’s Chicken Casserole
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet until simmering then brown the chicken over high heat, turning once. Set aside and drain any oil from the pan.
Pan fry the bacon over medium heat until it starts to render its fat.
Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for five minutes until the onions soften and bacon starts getting crispy at the edges.
Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and dried herbs and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned.
Stir in the white wine, chicken stock, sage and bay leaves. Add the chicken thighs. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Alternatively continue to cook the casserole on the stove over low heat until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the creme fraiche and sprinkle with xanthan gum (or stir in a little diluted cornflour) if the sauce needs thickening. Simmer for a minute or so.
Discard the bay leaves. Check the seasoning and serve with mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash for a Keto option. SO yummy!
Recipe Notes
Have you made this Chicken Casserole alla Mary Berry? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
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Ingredients
Chicken Casserole
- 8 chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- 8 strips smoked streaky bacon diced
- 1 large onion finely diced
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- 200 g (7 oz) mushrooms sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme or mixed herbs
- 4 fresh sage leaves or small sage sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 120 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
- 120 ml (½ cup) hot chicken stock from a stock cube
- 250 g (1 cup) full fat creme fraiche or sour cream
- 1 tsp xanthan gum or 2 tsp cornflour diluted in a little cold water
Fried Sage (optional)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- large fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with a few turns of the salt and pepper mill. Heat the oil in a skillet until simmering then brown the chicken over high heat, turning once. Set aside and drain any oil from the pan.
- Pan fry the bacon over medium heat until it starts to render its fat.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for five minutes until the onions soften and bacon starts getting crispy at the edges.
- Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and dried herbs and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned.
- Stir in the white wine, chicken stock, sage and bay leaves. Add the chicken thighs. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Alternatively continue to cook the casserole on the stove over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the creme fraiche and sprinkle with xanthan gum (or stir in a little diluted cornflour) if the sauce needs thickening. Simmer for a minute or so.
- Heat the butter and pan fry the sage leaves (if using) until crispy. Drain them on a kitchen towel.
- Discard the bay leaves. Check the seasoning, top with the crispy sage leaves and serve with mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash for a Keto option. SO yummy!
Pat says
I just made this and it was delicious, I changed it a bit didn’t have any wine so used extra chicken stock and used shallots instead of onions, yum
Kate says
Why do you give instructions to cook in the oven if you haven’t tried it? How did you cook it?
Lucy Parissi says
I do cook it in the oven. I have changed the method to simplify it
Kate says
Thank you for your reply, Lucy.
What temperature do you set the oven, and why not include that information in the method?
I am also wondering why you told two other people that you hadn’t cooked the casserole in the oven.
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Kate, thanks for pointing this out, there was some confusion here as the recipe was updated recently and clearly an error crept through. You can cook the casserole entirely on the stove or transfer it midway through to an oven. I have clarified in the instructions
Louise says
Can you freeze this casserole? Thanks.
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Louise, it is not suitable for freezing due to its cream content
fooddoz.com says
Thanks for the recipe.
byron says
what temp for oven?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi – I haven’t tried it am afraid.
Teresa says
What is the oven temperature for this recipe?
Lucy Parissi says
Hi Teresa – I haven’t tested it in the oven I am afraid
Jason Tomas says
you state that this Mary berry recipe is not suitable for freezing due to its creme fraiche. but in a similar recipe with creme fraiche ms Berry tells us that it freezes well!
Lucy Parissi says
You can freeze it if you like – I don’t like the texture when it is reheated xx