This post is sponsored by Edward's of Conwy.

With autumn upon us, now is the perfect time to indulge in hearty comfort food! This slow cooker chicken casserole is just the thing, with an aromatic, velvety white wine and bacon and tarragon broth that pairs beautifully with chicken chipolata sausages or chicken thighs. Read on to discover my latest recipe in partnership with Welsh butchers’, Edward’s of Conwy (including a hob/oven version, so don’t fret if you don’t have a slow cooker!)

Chipolata casserole with French white wine

Sipping on creamy, white wine-infused broth in between mouthfuls of tender chicken chipolata and smoky bacon, I could very well be eating in a cosy Parisian bistro or charming French farmhouse rather than propped up at the rickety old dining table in my lounge at home in Wales.

Don’t you just love it when food really takes you somewhere? I’ve made this chicken casserole a few times now and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite slow cooker recipes. The indulgent crème fraîche and white wine chicken broth is dotted with tender Edward’s of Conwy Welsh chicken chipolatas and oak-smoked dry cured bacon, button mushrooms, carrots, leeks and onion. It’s so good. C’est très bien, as the French would say.

Want to know how to rustle up my slow cooker chicken casserole for yourself, with only 25 minutes of prep time required? Read on!

Slow cooker chicken casserole, made with chipolatas and bacon

How to cook the best ever slow cooker chicken casserole

This really is one of the best slow cooker chicken casseroles I’ve ever tasted (if I do say so myself!) and it’s ridiculously easy to make. All that’s required from you is around 25 minutes of prep time and then you can simply leave your casserole to bubble away in the slow cooker for the rest of the day, freeing you up to get on with whatever else you need to do.

Once you’ve prepared your ingredients, heat up the butter in a non-stick frying pan and brown off the chicken chipolatas for five minutes or so, followed by the chopped bacon.

Once browned, simply remove them from the pan and transfer them into your slow cooker.

Next, add the red onion or shallots, carrot and leeks to the pan and fry over a low to medium heat for a few minutes or so, until softened. Once tender, remove the pan from the heat and add the veg to the slow cooker.

Now, it’s time to add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker except for the button mushrooms, crème fraîche and tarragon. When it comes to the white wine, I’d advise choosing a dry to medium-bodied crisp wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. In developing this recipe, I’ve discovered a favourite new white wine in the form of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Côtes Du Rhône White, which currently costs £8 per bottle and could’ve been made with roast chicken in mind! While I love white wine in a casserole, many people prefer to use cider or beer instead.

Casserole in slow cooker (prior to cooking)

Give everything a good stir, place the lid onto your slow cooker, turn the heat to auto and cook for around five hours.

Five hours in, stir in the crème fraîche, fresh tarragon sprigs and button mushrooms and turn the heat up to high for the final hour of cooking.

Fresh tarragon in white wine chicken casserole

Once the time is up, test the consistency of your casserole; if it’s a little runny, mix a little cornflour with cold water to form a paste and stir this into your casserole. You might need to transfer it into a large saucepan to complete this final stage of cooking on the hob, in order for the cornflour to thicken.

Serve your casserole while piping hot, paired with creamy mashed potato, garlicky celeriac mash or crusty French baguette with lashings of salted butter.

Creamy slow cooker chicken casserole made with chicken chipolatas and bacon

The casserole lowdown

Here’s my take on some of the most popular questions I hear being asked about casseroles. If you can think of anything I haven’t covered, please leave a comment at the end of this blog post or send me an email and I’ll add it to my post for you.

What cuts should I use in my slow cooker chicken casserole?

Traditionally, chicken casseroles call for whole, skin-on chicken thighs or thigh fillets, drumsticks or legs. I’ve made this casserole recipe using chicken thighs before and it tastes delicious; I pan fry the chicken skin-down before placing it into the slow cooker, to encourage the skin to crisp up.

However, my slow cooker chicken casserole recipe works particularly well with Edward’s of Conwy Chicken Chipolatas, produced from British chicken thigh meat. These are currently available to purchase in packs of ten chipolatas (320g) from select Tesco supermarkets throughout the UK.

Packed with 80% chicken alongside other quality ingredients, these chicken chipolatas make for a healthy alternative to regular pork sausages or chipolatas, with only 162 calories in two chipolatas!

Should I use bacon or pancetta in my casserole?

While Italian pancetta certainly makes for a tasty addition to any casserole, it’s by no means essential. Bacon lardons or chopped bacon can work just as well.

I like to use Edward’s of Conwy’s oak-smoked, dry cured bacon rashers in my casserole as they’re so thick and they contain very little water, so the meat doesn’t give off too much liquid or shrink too much during cooking. Plus, as all of Edward’s of Conwy’s bacon is traditionally cured by hand, air dried and smoked over oak, it has an irresistible smoky flavour which suits this recipe well. Edward’s of Conwy’s Welsh bacon is available in a variety of pack sizes from Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores throughout the UK, as well as online via Ocado.

Can you put raw sausages or chicken in a slow cooker?

While it’s generally quite safe to cook raw sausages and chicken in a slow cooker, most people prefer to brown their meat off on the hob beforehand as this tends to impart more flavour and can help to give the meat a more pleasant-looking golden tinge. Furthermore, if you’ll be using fresh chicken pieces in your casserole, browning them off beforehand can help to crisp up the skin.

Is it best to cook chicken on high or low in the crockpot?

While it’s generally recommended that you cook red meat on high when using a slow cooker, where white meats like chicken are concerned, it’s often best to stick to a low temperature. Slow-cooking the chicken on a low heat will ensure it stays juicy and succulent, whereas turning up the heat may dry it out. I usually opt for the ‘auto’ setting for most dishes, as long as they don’t contain red meat.

White wine slow cooker chicken casserole

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4.75 from 12 votes

White Wine Chipolata & Bacon Casserole

Autumnal comfort food doesn't get much better than a hot, creamy casserole served with buttery mash. In a twist on the classic French white wine chicken casserole, this recipe uses Welsh chicken chipolatas and dry cured bacon. Infused with fragrant tarragon and rich in crème fraîche, the creamy, velvety sauce pairs beautifully with garlic celeriac or regular mash or perhaps a crusty French baguette for dunking.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine British, French

Keyword bacon, Casserole, chicken, Chipolata

Prep Time 15

Total Time 6 15

Servings people

Author Kacie Morgan

Ingredients

35 g butter
12 Edwards of Conwy chicken chipolatas
200 g Edwards of Conwy Oak-Smoked Dry Cured bacon chopped
1 red onion or 3-4 echalion shallots chopped
1 leek washed, trimmed and sliced
1 carrot peeled and sliced
250 ml white wine
400 ml chicken stock (a little more if cooking your casserole on the hob or in the oven)
200 g whole button mushrooms washed
5 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

Instructions

For slow cooker

Heat the butter in a frying pan, then add the chicken chipolatas, season with salt and pepper and fry for around five minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the chopped bacon to the pan and fry until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onions, leeks and carrots to the pan and fry for a further five minutes or so, until softened.
Turn the slow cooker on, transfer all the ingredients except for the crème fraîche, tarragon and mushrooms into it and cook on high for around 4 hours. Then, add the mushrooms and continue cooking for a further two hours or until the sausages are cooked and the veg is tender.
After around six hours of cooking time, stir the crème fraîche and whole tarragon sprigs (no need to remove the leaves from the stems) into your casserole and test the consistency of the sauce. If it’s a little runny, mix some cornflour with some cold water and stir it in to the casserole while still hot. You may need to transfer it to a saucepan or casserole dish and do this over the hob.
Serve your casserole with creamy mash and/or crusty white bread spread thickly with salted butter. Mmm!

For the hob/oven

Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat the butter in a casserole dish, add the chicken chipolatas, season with salt and pepper any fry for around five minutes, until browned.
In a frying pan, fry the chopped bacon until just crisp (you can dry fry it or use a little oil, whichever you prefer), then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onions, leeks and carrots and fry for a further five minutes or so, until softened.
Add all the ingredients except for the wine and stock to the casserole dish along with the chicken chipolatas, ensuring you add the mushrooms last. Pour in the wine and stock last. Cover the casserole dish and transfer to the oven for around 45 minutes.
When your casserole has finished cooking in the oven, you’ll probably need to thicken the sauce up a little. Transfer the casserole dish to the hob and place it over a low to medium heat. Mix a little cornflour with cold water to form a paste, then stir this into the casserole whilst still hot.
Serve your casserole with creamy mash and/or crusty white bread spread thickly with salted butter. Mmm!

Notes

Your casserole will keep at its best in the fridge for around 3-4 days. If you’re planning on freezing it, don’t add the crème fraîche beforehand. Instead, When you’re ready to eat your casserole, defrost it in the fridge for 24 hours beforehand, heat it up and stir in the crème fraîche towards the end.

What’s your favourite autumnal comfort food? Do you love casseroles too or is pie and mash or chilli con carne more your thing? Share your thoughts below; I love reading your comments and I take the time to respond to each one individually.

Love my slow cooker chicken casserole? Take a look at some of the other amazing recipes I’ve created for Edwards of Conwy:

WAIT! Before you head off, make sure you PIN this post so you can find my recipe when you’re ready to write your shopping list and get cooking your chicken casserole.

Creamy chicken thigh casserole with white wine

Creamy chicken sausage or chipolata casserole with celeriac mash