Freezer-friendly chicken, cannellini and vegetable casserole
Hearty, freezer-friendly chicken, bean and veg casserole—batch-cook, freeze portions and reheat for quick midweek dinners.
This is the sort of casserole you make when you want midweek dinners sorted without the faff. It braises chicken with beans and plenty of veg into a thick, comforting sauce that freezes superbly.
Cook a big batch, cool it properly, portion and pop in the freezer — dinner’s done on those nights when you can’t be bothered to think. The lemon and parsley finish keep the flavours fresh after freezing.
Ingredients
- 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs — trimmed and halved if large
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — large, diced
- 3 carrots — peeled and sliced
- 2 celery — sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — quartered
- 1 courgette — diced
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes — one tin
- 400 ml chicken stock — ideally low-salt
- 400 g tinned cannellini beans — drained weight about 240 g
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 30 ml cornflour
- 60 ml cold water — for slurry
- 15 g fresh parsley — chopped, to serve
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 10 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- large ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven
- freezer-safe containers
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional.
Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium–high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, 4 minutes each side, until golden; remove and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil if the pan looks dry. Reduce heat to medium and add the brown onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to colour, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 1 minute.
Stir in the chestnut mushrooms and courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown.
Stir in the tomato purée, smoked paprika and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves, scraping any browned bits from the base. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Return the browned chicken to the casserole, nestle the tinned cannellini beans in around the chicken, spoon the sauce over, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove from the oven, discard the bay leaves and make a cornflour slurry by whisking the cornflour into the cold water. Stir the slurry and the lemon juice into the casserole and return to a low heat on the hob for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Allow the casserole to cool completely before portioning for the freezer — leave at room temperature until no longer warm, about 2 hours.
Divide the cooled casserole into meal-sized, freezer-safe containers (allow a little headspace) and label with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw frozen portions overnight in the fridge (about 12 hours).
Reheat the thawed casserole in an ovenproof dish at 180°C fan/200°C conventional for 25–30 minutes until piping hot. Scatter with fresh parsley to serve.
Tips
- Brown the chicken well — that caramelised surface adds a lot of flavour to the sauce.
- Cool the casserole completely before freezing; hot food pushed into the freezer raises the temperature and causes freezer burn.
- Use shallow, freezer-safe containers for faster freezing and quicker reheating.
- Label containers with contents and date; frozen portions are best used within 3 months.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce after reheating, stir in a 1 tsp cornflour mixed with a little cold water and simmer briefly.
Substitutions
boneless skinless chicken thighs → boneless skinless chicken breasts, same weight (cooks slightly quicker and will be leaner)
Noticeably differenttinned cannellini beans → tinned butter beans, same weight
Stays closecornflour → plain flour, 3 tbsp mixed with a little cold water (not gluten-free)
Noticeably differentolive oil → rapeseed oil, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 400
- Calories
- 29 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I freeze this casserole uncooked?
You can freeze raw components separately, but cooked is recommended — flavours develop during cooking and texture freezes very well when cooled properly.
How long can it stay in the freezer?
Best within 3 months for flavour and texture. After that it’s safe but quality declines.
Do I have to thaw before reheating?
Yes — thawing overnight in the fridge gives the best, even reheating. You can reheat from frozen but it will take much longer and may heat unevenly.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Replace chicken with extra beans and firm tofu or cooked chestnut mushrooms; swap chicken stock for vegetable stock — the dish will still freeze well.
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