Potato Gratin with Chicken

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Potato Gratin with Chicken sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Italian traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 53 minutes in a single skillet, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 10 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. 15 minute potato gratin with chicken and bacon greens: a gratin always seems more effort and more indulgent than ordinary boiled or roasts, but it doesn't have to take 45mins, it's nice for a change and you can control the calorie content by going with full fat to low fat creme fraiche.
2. Step 2. (It's always tastes better full fat though obviously!) to serve 4: use 800g of potatoes, finely slice and boil in a pan for about 5-8 mins till firmish, not soft.
3. Step 3. Finely slice 3 onions and place in an oven dish with 2 tblsp of olive oil and 100ml of chicken stock.
4. Step 4. Cook till the onions are soft then drain the potatoes and pour onto the onions.
5. Step 5. Season and spoon over cream or creme fraiche till all is covered but not swimming.
6. Step 6. Grate Parmesan over the top then finish under the grill till nicely golden.
7. Step 7. serve with chicken and bacon, peas and spinach.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest skillet you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with italian roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.