- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total time
- 65 min
- Yield
- 4 to 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Quick summary
“A comforting family dish in layers of sautéed chicken cubes, sliced potatoes and al dente carrots, and tender peas, wrapped in creamy bechamel sauce. Gratinated in the oven with a golden crust of mozzarella and parmesan.”
What you need to know
- Pre-cooking the potatoes and carrots for 5 to 7 minutes ensures that the tubers are soft in the pan.
- The white sauce made from a roux with milk and fresh cream thickens without lumps and provides creaminess.
- The mixture of mozzarella for elasticity with grated Parmesan for a golden crust creates the perfect topping.
Ingredients
Main
- g Chicken Breast
- medium Potatoes
- medium Carrots
- medium Cebola
- cloves Garlic
- cup Frozen peas
- cups Whole milk
- cup Fresh cream
- tablespoons All-purpose flour
- tablespoons Butter
- cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
- cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- tablespoons Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Nutmeg
- tablespoons Fresh parsley
Instructions
Principal
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion and chopped garlic in olive oil until translucent and aromatic, for approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the cubed chicken to the pot and brown on all sides. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste. Set the sautéed chicken aside.
- In another pot with boiling water and salt, cook the potato and carrot slices for about 5-7 minutes. They should be al dente. Drain carefully and reserve.
- For the white sauce: In the same sauté pan (or another), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the wheat flour and stir vigorously for 1 minute to cook the flour, forming a roux.
- Gradually add the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
- In a large baking dish (approximately 30x20cm), start assembling. Spread a thin layer of white sauce on the bottom. Next, alternate layers of chicken, potatoes, carrots, and peas, drizzling with the sauce at each layer.
- Finish the assembly with a generous layer of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Cover the baking dish carefully with aluminum foil, sealing the edges well.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. After this time, remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and finish with chopped parsley before serving.
Chef's tips
- Sauté the chicken breast cubes over high heat to brown without creating water and reserve before the vegetables.
- Add a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to the white sauce to enhance the dairy.
- Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes and use the grill mode in the last 5 minutes to gratin the cheese intensely.
Variations
- Add 1 cup of finely sliced leeks to the onion and garlic sauté for a sweet aroma.
- Interleave crispy golden bacon bits between the layers of vegetables and chicken.
- Sprinkle panko flour mixed with parmesan cheese over the top to create an even crispier crust.
Substitutions
- The potatoes can be replaced with mandioquinha (arracacha) in slices or sweet potato.
- The cubed chicken breast can be replaced by cooked shredded chicken or leftover roast chicken.
- Frozen peas can be replaced with drained canned green corn or broccoli florets.
How to store
Keep in a closed baking dish or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven preheated to 180°C covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes so that the sauce regains its creaminess.
Can it be frozen?
Freeze the assembled dish already baked and cooled in its own packaging for up to 60 days. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator the night before and heat in a medium oven until bubbling in the center.
What to serve with
It pairs perfectly with fluffy white rice, a crunchy green leafy salad with tomato, and light white wine.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use canned peas instead of frozen ones?
You can use them, but frozen peas maintain a much firmer texture, fresh sweet flavor, and bright green color that doesn't fall apart when mixed into the hot sauce.
The mozzarella cheese released too much oil while broiling, what happened?
Cheeses with excess fat or baking dishes kept too long under direct heat separate the whey; use good quality mozzarella and keep the oven time at about 30 to 40 minutes.
How to prevent the bechamel sauce from having flour lumps?
Cook the butter with the flour for 1 minute (roux) and pour in the hot milk little by little, whisking non-stop with a wire whisk until the sauce thickens smoothly.
Can vegetables go raw directly into the baking dish with the sauce?
Not recommended; raw potatoes and carrots would take more than 1 hour to soften in the oven, drying out the white sauce. The 7-minute pre-cooking in salted water is indispensable.
