Some recipes start with a plan. And this chicken potato and spinach bake started with a smell. When I worked as a cook in a nursery in the UK, cheese and onion pie was one of those meals that filled the whole kitchen with the most incredible aroma. Potatoes, cheese and properly browned onions, topped with puff pastry and served with baked beans. It was very British, very comforting, and always a popular dinner.
I loved the basic idea behind it, especially the combination of potatoes, cheese and onions, but I wanted to turn it into something that worked better as a complete family meal for us at home. So I kept the flavours I loved and changed the rest. The puff pastry and sweet baked beans went, while chicken and plenty of spinach came in. The potatoes stayed, as did the creamy cheese sauce and, most importantly, the onions.
The Onions Are Where It All Starts
The onions are probably the strongest connection between my version and the cheese and onion pie that inspired it. They shouldn’t just be softened until translucent. I like to give them a little more time in the pan so they become properly golden and develop that deeper, slightly sweet flavour.
It might seem like a small detail, but it changes the whole dish. Those browned onions work beautifully with the potatoes and strong cheese, and they give the sauce much more depth without needing lots of extra seasoning.
A Cheese Sauce That Changes Every Time
I make the sauce with a simple roux, milk and a good mature cheese. Cathedral City Mature Cheddar is one I use often, but I don’t buy a particular cheese just for this recipe. Quite often I look in the fridge and use whatever pieces of good hard cheese need finishing, and those versions can actually turn out to be the best.
A little mature cheddar, Gouda, Gruyère or another hard cheese can all work. I add mustard and nutmeg, then finish the sauce with a spoonful of sour cream. That small amount of acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese and makes a surprisingly big difference to the finished dish. Mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano on top give it that golden, bubbling finish when it comes out of the oven.
Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?
Chicken breast is what I usually use when I’m making this as an easy family dinner without planning ahead. It cooks quickly and works really well with the creamy sauce, spinach and potatoes. The whole thing comes together without needing hours in the kitchen.
If I know I’m making it the following day, though, I prefer boneless chicken thighs and marinate them the night before. They stay beautifully juicy and bring even more flavour to the dish. Both versions work, so it really comes down to how much time I’ve had to think about tomorrow’s dinner.
From a British Classic to Our Family Dinner
This isn’t my version of cheese and onion pie in the traditional sense, and I wouldn’t call it one. It’s a dish that simply wouldn’t exist in my kitchen if I hadn’t spent those years cooking in the UK and been surrounded by British food. I took a combination I loved and gradually changed it into something that suited the way I wanted to cook at home.
The browned onions, potatoes and cheese are still at the heart of it, but now there is chicken, plenty of spinach and a creamy homemade cheese sauce bringing everything together. It still has that warm, comforting character that made the original smell so tempting in the nursery kitchen, but it has become a completely different family dinner. And that’s probably why I’ve kept making it.
Chicken, Potato & Spinach Bake Inspired by British Cheese and Onion Pie
Course: Main CourseCuisine: British – inspiredDifficulty: Easy6
servings25
minutes45
minutes570
kcalIngredients
For the Chicken, Potato & Spinach Filling
1 kg potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, diced
600 g chicken breast, diced
300 g fresh spinach
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 tsp of Sweet paprika
A little olive oil or cooking fat, for frying
For the Cheese Sauce
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Approximately 500 ml milk
40 g plain flour
100–120 g mature cheddar or other hard cheese
1 tbsp sour cream
½ tsp mustard
A little nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
For the Topping
Grated mozzarella, just enough to mixi it in to the dish
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to cover the top
Directions
- Prepare the Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Add them to a pan of salted water and cook until they are almost completely tender. They shouldn’t be falling apart, but don’t leave them too firm because the assembled dish only spends around 20 minutes in the oven. Drain well and set aside. - Brown the Onions
Dice the onions and heat a little olive oil or cooking fat in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook until soft and properly golden. Don’t stop when they are just translucent. Giving them enough time to brown develops the deeper, slightly sweet flavour that is so important in this dish. - Cook the Chicken and Spinach
Season the diced chicken with salt, black pepper and sweet paprika. Add it to the browned onions and cook until lightly golden and almost cooked through. Add the fresh spinach and cook just until it has wilted. Stir in the drained potatoes gently so they don’t break up. - Make the Cheese Sauce
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute to form a smooth roux.
Gradually pour in the milk, a little at a time at first, whisking well after each addition to keep the sauce smooth. Once all the milk has been added, cook gently, stirring, until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Reduce the heat and add the grated cheese, mustard, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Stir until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sour cream. The finished sauce should be creamy and pourable rather than very thick. - Assemble the Bake
Transfer the chicken, potato, spinach and onion mixture to a large ovenproof dish. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top, gently spreading it so it works its way between the ingredients.
Sprinkle with grated mozzarella, then finish with Parmigiano Reggiano. - Bake
Bake at 200°C conventional / 180°C fanfor around 20 minutes, until the filling is piping hot and the cheese on top is melted and golden. If you want a little more colour, place it under the grill for the final 2–3 minutes, watching it carefully so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Let it stand for about 5 minutes before serving. This gives the cheese sauce a little time to settle and makes the bake easier to serve.
Notes
- Potatoes: Cook them until almost completely tender before assembling the bake. They only have a short time in the oven, so don’t rely on the baking time to finish cooking them.
Brown the onions properly: Don’t stop at translucent. Let them become golden and develop a little colour. This gives the dish the deeper onion flavour inspired by British cheese and onion pie.
Chicken thighs: Boneless chicken thighs are a great alternative to chicken breast. If you have time, marinate them overnight for even more flavour and juicier chicken.
Cheese: Mature cheddar works beautifully, but you can use a mixture of hard cheeses you already have in the fridge. It’s a great recipe for using up smaller leftover pieces.
Cheese sauce: The sauce should be creamy and pourable, not extremely thick. It will thicken further as the dish bakes and then rests.
Spinach: Cook it only until wilted. If it releases a lot of liquid, let the excess moisture evaporate before assembling the bake so the finished sauce doesn’t become watery.
Sour cream: Add it after taking the sauce off the heat. Its slight acidity helps balance the richness of the cheese.
Rest before serving: Leave the bake for about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The sauce will settle slightly and the portions will be easier to serve.
