There’s nothing worse than finishing a busy day and then having to slave in the kitchen cooking for hours trying to follow a complicated recipe.

A dish I cooked this week to avoid any hassle was a chicken casserole and I used my slow cooker.

Since getting a slow cooker, it has made cooking so many meals far easier.

That being said, this chicken casserole recipe can be cooked in the oven for those without a slow cooker.

Not only is this dish really quick to prepare, but it’s one of those meals that you can literally chuck in whatever vegetables you have going spare – and it’ll work.

Ingredients (serves four)

600g boneless chicken thigh fillets/drumsticks/breasts (I used chicken breasts)

Four carrots, chopped

Two stalks of celery, sliced

Two garlic cloves, crushed

One onion, peeled and sliced

500g potatoes, chopped into chunks

Two teaspoons of dried mixed herbs

Two bay leaves

Two chicken stock cubes/pots

500ml boiling water

Three tablespoons of gravy granules, to thicken

Method 

I started by weighing out and prepping all of the ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker, apart from the gravy granules.

You can add any vegetables you have available for this chicken casserole from carrots and celery to courgettes and mushrooms.

After giving it all a mix, I placed the lid on the slow cooker and set it to nine hours on low. it can also be set to four to six hours on high for those who have less time.

For those without a slow cooker, they can put the casserole in the oven for around two and a half hours at 160 degrees.

Just 30 minutes before the end, I took the lid off and stirred in three tablespoons of gravy granules as the liquid needed thickening.

I left the lid off for the last 30 minutes to allow the stock to thicken up.

If you are not able to wait for 30 minutes, just stir in the gravy granules until the desired consistency is reached.

If you don’t add any potatoes to the slow cooker you can serve it with some mashed potato or just some crusty bread.

I added potatoes to my casserole, but also served it with two slices of stone-baked ciabatta and the combination was incredible.