Casseroles are one of the easiest dishes to make. Most times, all you need is one dish to make it happen, which eliminates cooking work and the mess that ensues afterwards.
Moreover, they’re great to dig into for easy weeknight dinners throughout the week, and they usually freeze pretty well. This is especially true without dairy.
This recipe forgoes heavy cream or cheese and flour, making it dairy-free and gluten-free. This is a classic dish with a healthy twist that takes on all the properties of proper comfort food.
Instead of using milk or cream, I made delicious onion, herb and lemon gravy, thickened with arrowroot powder/flour. The casserole has that cozy, creamy texture and lots of flour, but without being too heavy.
Shop for our favorite ingredients on Amazon: my favorite brand of almond milk, good chicken stock, nutritional yeast flakes, mixed Italian herbs, arrowroot powder.
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- 1 large brown onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
- 1½ cups of almond milk (unsweetened)
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cube of organic, natural chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- Generous pinch of pepper
- 400-450 g / 0.9 lb diced chicken breast or thighs
- 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
- 400 g / 0.8 lb small new potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 5-6 thin slices of lemon
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 390 F.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times.
- In the meantime, pan-fry the chicken for 1-2 minutes over high heat in a separate frying pan - to brown off slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the rest of the gravy ingredients to the onions, stir and bring to boil. Let the mixture bubble away for a minute; then, remove from the heat. Dissolve arrowroot powder in 2-3 tablespoons of water and add to the gravy. Stir through - it will thicken slightly.
- Add the chicken, carrot and potatoes to a casserole dish and pour over the sauce. Sprinkle with pepper and stir through. Wedge in the lemon slices in a few places and cover the dish with foil or an ovenproof lid.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 200 C / 390 F. Then uncover and reduce the heat to 180 C / 360 F. Bake for a further 15 minutes. Sprinkle with extra herbs for garnish.
- Serve with steamed greens or a fresh salad.
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What is a brown onion? Is it some new type? I have been cooking for the past 60 years and have never heard of one or seen one in the grocery store. Please let me know.
A Spanish onion, perhaps! Not white or red, but the in between. Have you seen those before?
Is there something I can use instead of the stock cube? I want to cook this tonight and can’t locate any organic stock cubes at my local supermarket. Would organic miso be of any benefit, or other spices, like paprika?
Yes, spices or miso will work perfectly well! You can also use homemade broth.
Surely a brown onion is just a normal onion??? They have brown skin …..
Kathy – yes. Brown onion is just a way to differentiate between a white or red onion, both of which have distinct tastes that we avoid in the recipe. Any other onion is fine. Vidalia, Spanish, etc.
Made this tonight for my family (but used double cream and parmesan cheese instead of the almond milk and nutritional yeast) and all I can say is that it’s a keeper!! Our family gobbled it up! Yay! So many thanks for this amazing recipe! 😀
Your rendition sounds gorgeous for those who tolerate dairy! SO hearty. I love this recipe, too. It’s perfect for the winter and for the family, evidently. I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Tnks its a very good recipe! The pictures are very helpfull! Excellent
I love this! Potato casseroles are my favorite and this hit the top!
This reminds me of something my mom makes sometimes! This was my first time using nutritional yeast and it actually made a huge difference in the flavor!! Definitely will make this again.
I substituted with sweet potatoes and turkey and I must say, this is one of the best casserole dishes I have had ! This was a huge hit with my family- including the kids!
This casserole has so many elements and came together quickly! The almond milk added a creamy accent to the dish without the added calories of dairy creating a healthier option for the health conscious.
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make which is great on a busy day. It tastes amazing and has become a staple in my house!
I normally don’t try casseroles, but with this recipe, I had to give it a try. Lemon and chicken recipes have always been my favorite and this one made it to my list. It’s creamy and delicious.
A quick and easy-to-do recipe. I highly recommend for late night dinners. You will surely love it!
Absolutely wonderful and in the same time healthy meal. I definitely will surprise my mom with this!
Great recipe, looks delicious. I might give this a try, Can I use red skin potatoes instead?
Casseroles are a big part of our family meals. This mean will be making an appearance at our table very soon
How much is a “cube” of chicken stock? I’ve never even heard of chicken stock coming in cubes?!
Jaclyn, the cube is essentially a bouillon cube which you may not be familiar with! You can simply use a cup of chicken broth in that case.
Turned out pretty yummy! I substituted coconut milk for almond milk and I didn’t have any chicken stock or bouillon, but I actually added half a cup of paleo mayonnaise and that helped with flavor and creaminess. I had to cook mine for an additional 25 minutes for the potatoes to cook entirely. I enjoyed this recipe!
What are the mixed dry herbs?
I would also like to know what you mean by “mixed dry herbs.”
Also, if I use chicken broth instead of the cube chicken bullion, do I reduce a liquid somewhere else?
Thank you!