Chicken-Havarti Gratin

Name: Chicken-Havarti Gratin
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 lb (250 g) baby potatoes quartered; 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil; 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter; 8 boneless; skinless chicken thighs cut into large chunks; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 onion chopped; 3 cups (750 mL) shiitake or other mushrooms sliced; 4 tsp (20 mL) chopped fresh rosemary; 3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula lightly packed; 1/4 cup (60 mL) white wine or sodium-reduced chicken broth; 1 cup (250 mL) fresh whole wheat bread crumbs; 1 cup (250 mL) cubed Canadian Havarti; 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard

All those in favour of good old, slow-cook comfort food, but without all the fuss and muss, raise your hand.

Prep: 10 min
Cooking: 25 min

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 lb (250 g) baby potatoes quartered
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into large chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 onion chopped
3 cups (750 mL) shiitake or other mushrooms sliced
4 tsp (20 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula lightly packed
1/4 cup (60 mL) white wine or sodium-reduced chicken broth
1 cup (250 mL) fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup (250 mL) cubed Canadian Havarti
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water on the stove for 5 to 6 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well; pat dry with paper towel.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to high. Heat oil and half of the butter in a large, ovenproof, non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry for 8 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Add remaining butter, onion, mushrooms and rosemary to skillet. Stir-fry for 6 minutes or until browned.

Stir in cooked potatoes, chicken with any accumulated juices, arugula and broth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until liquid has evaporated. Spread the mixture out evenly in the skillet; remove from heat. Meanwhile, toss the breadcrumbs with cheese and mustard. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the skillet mixture. Broil on the middle rack for 5 minutes or until golden.

Tips

Wrap aluminium foil around the plastic handle of a non-stick skillet to shield it from the heat while under the broiler. To micro-cook the potatoes, place in a large heatproof bowl and add enough water to cover. Cover bowl with a heatproof plate and cook in the microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

For a Tex-Mex-inspired gratin, replace the mushrooms, rosemary, arugula and Havarti with chopped sweet peppers, fresh oregano, baby spinach and cubed Canadian Monterey Jack or Cheddar. Add a hint of Chili powder to the crumb topping to spice it up a little, too!