One Pot Chicken & Bacon Stew With Green Beans

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Meanwhile, crush your garlic open by squashing it with the side of a knife and remove the skin

Peel and chop your shallot[s] in half

Chop your chestnut mushrooms in half

Chop your waxy potatoes in half

Once the dish is hot, add your chicken thighs and bacon lardons along with a grind of black pepper and 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour

Cook for 2 min or until the chicken is very lightly browned

Once the chicken is lightly browned, add your Chinese rice wine to the dish with your dried oregano, bay leaf[ves], tomato paste, beef stock mix and 200ml [260ml] [350ml] boiled water

Add the crushed garlic, chopped shallot, chopped mushrooms and chopped waxy potatoes

Give everything a good mix up

Bring to the boil over a high heat, cover with a lid, then put the dish in the oven for an initial 40 min

Trim your green beans

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the stew has had 40 min, remove the dish from the oven and add the trimmed green beans

Return the dish to the oven and cook, covered, for 5 min further or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the green beans are tender – this is your one pot chicken & bacon stew with green beans

Put your ciabatta[s] in the oven for 5 min or until it's hot and crusty