Creamy Bacon, Chicken and Broccoli Strata (Bread Bake)
User Reviews
4.9
21 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
4 -5
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Calories
429 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Creamy Bacon, Chicken and Broccoli Strata (Bread Bake)
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A creamy chicken and broccoli bake made from scratch topped with bread and panko to make it extra crunchy! It's like a pasta bake / strata (savoury bread pudding), just as filling but with a lot less carbs.
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Ingredients
- 250 g / 8 oz chicken breast fillet , cut into small bite size pieces
- 2 bacon rashers , diced
- 1 small brown onion (or 1/2 large), diced
- 4 packed cups (300g/10oz) broccoli florets
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Béchamel Sauce
- 40 g / 1.3 oz / 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (tasty, cheddar, gruyere or any other good melting cheese)
- 3 cups low fat milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper
Topping
- 3 to 4 lices of thick slice white sandwich bread , cut into 1cm / 1/3" cubes (note 1)
- 1/4 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese , grated
- fresh parsley , finely chopped, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Chicken Mixture
- Heat olive oil in a deep non stick fry pan over high heat. Add onion, minced garlic and bacon. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until onion is translucent and bacon is starting to brown.
- Add chicken and cook just until the outside of the chicken turns white (do not cook through). By this time, the onion should be caramelised and bacon should be crisp.
- Remove from pan onto paper towel to drain.
Make the Béchamel Sauce (see notes for tips)
- Lower heat to medium. Wipe pan clean and return to heat.
- Melt butter, then add flour and whisk constantly for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of milk, whisking constantly, until it is well combined and lump free. It should be very thick.
- Add remaining milk and whisk to combine well. Cook for 2 minutes or so, whisking constantly, until it thickens to the consistency of pouring cream (not whipped cream).
- Remove from heat and add garlic powder, cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Do a taste test and add more salt if you want.
Assemble and Bake
- Place broccoli in baking dish (see notes for size), then top with chicken onion mixture. Pour over half the béchamel sauce.
- Top with bread cubes, then drizzle over the remaining béchamel sauce as evenly as possible over the bread cubes. Use an egg flip to squash the bread cubes down - this helps disperse the béchamel sauce throughout the bake.
- Sprinkle over panko and parmesan cheese.
- Place in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
To Serve
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with finely chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- You need enough bread to cover the top of your bake. So the amount you need will depend on the size of the baking dish/skillet you are using.
- Making the béchamel sauce in a deep fry pan instead of a saucepan is a faster way of making this sauce because there is a larger surface area. So if you make it in a saucepan instead, increase the cooking times of each step by 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- The sauce should be the consistency of pouring cream. The sauce thickens considerably when baking so it is better to be thinner than too thick. If it seems too thick, then add a splash of milk.
- Use a baking dish that is about 10 to 12 cup capacity, or 22cm x 22cm (9" x 9").
- FREEZER FRIENDLY - if chicken was previously frozen, cook it through. If chicken was fresh, you can still partially cook it per recipe. Then assemble the bake (including the toppings) then cover tightly with cling wrap and place in the freezer immediately. To cook, defrost completely then follow the recipe directions to bake.
- This recipe is not suited to assembling then leaving in the fridge (before baking) because the bread may soak up too much moisture. It is also not advised to make the béchamel sauce too far ahead of time (ie. hours) because as it cools, it thickens, making it difficult to pour over the bake. I once tried to make all the components the day before with the idea to just pour the béchamel sauce over and bake. But the béchamel sauce was so thick I couldn't pour or even spread it. I then added milk to thin it to a spreadable consistency but then once baked, it was too watery because the sauce thins considerably when heated.
- Nutrition assumes this serves 5.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
336g
Calories
429cal
(21%)
Carbohydrates
35g
(12%)
Protein
28.3g
(57%)
Fat
19.2g
(30%)
Saturated Fat
9.1g
(46%)
Cholesterol
73mg
(24%)
Sodium
611mg
(25%)
Potassium
538mg
(15%)
Fiber
2.8g
(11%)
Sugar
10.6g
(21%)
Vitamin A
1000IU
(20%)
Vitamin C
78.4mg
(87%)
Calcium
380mg
(38%)
Iron
1.8mg
(10%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4-5
Amount Per Serving
Calories 429 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 336g | |
| Calories | 429cal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 28.3g | 57% |
| Fat | 19.2g | 30% |
| Saturated Fat | 9.1g | 46% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 611mg | 25% |
| Potassium | 538mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 2.8g | 11% |
| Sugar | 10.6g | 21% |
| Vitamin A | 1000IU | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 78.4mg | 87% |
| Calcium | 380mg | 38% |
| Iron | 1.8mg | 10% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
21 reviews
Excellent
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