Do you ever envisage a new dish in your head, hoping it will be as delicious as you imagine? And when you make it, it’s even better? I can’t pretend it’s something that happens all the time – more often there are tweaks to be made… or rarely, the idea is quietly binned and never mentioned again – but now and again success strikes and makes me insufferably chuffed with myself.
So it was with this Chicken Tarragon Pasta Bake.
In my mind were a number of recipes we enjoy, from macaroni cheese to chicken savoyarde to the penne al forno at my local Italian.
Once the idea for my new dish popped into my head, all we needed was to enjoy a roast chicken dinner (oh, the hardship) and follow that, as usual, by stripping the leftover meat off the carcass and popping the remaining skin, bones and tendons into the slow cooker with water overnight to make stock.
Kavey's Chicken Tarragon Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 250 g dried macaroni-style pasta
- 50 g white breadcrumbs (we used Panko)
- 300 g leftover roast chicken (chopped small)
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 40 g plain flour
- 600 ml chicken stock (slightly warmed)
- 175 ml double cream
- 50 g parmesan or other strong hard cheese (grated)
- 2 tsp French mustard
- 2 tsp dried tarragon
- salt
- pepper
Notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (390F).
- Put the pasta on to cook. When ready, drain, rinse and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Keep the heat low to medium, to avoid browning.
- Add the chicken stock and cream and stir thoroughly.
- Add the cheese, mustard and tarragon. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little.
- Once the sauce is ready, add the chicken and drained pasta and stir thoroughly.
- Transfer into an oven-proof casserole dish.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the crumbs on top are golden brown.
Serve hot with a crispy green salad.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Do let me know how you like it!
Other delicious and simple recipes from Kavey Eats:
- Quick Golden-Baked Peri Peri Chicken, Yoghurt & Rice Cake – use ready cooked rice for a speedy but impressive meal
- The Röstizza: A Potato Rösti Pizza Base – try this novel pizza base, great for gluten-free diets
- Parmesan & Paprika Potato Waffles – a great way to be more adventurous with your waffle machine
- Chorizo, Pumpkin & Spinach Giant Couscous Salad – just a few ingredients in this quick, warm salad
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Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!55 Comments to "Kavey’s Chicken Tarragon Pasta Bake"
One of my friends used to make something similar and it was so delicious. I haven’t eaten it for ages but I can’t wait to get into the kitchen and knock this version up!
Hope you like it!
Looks mouth watering!
Thanks, ma!
Chicken and Tarragon go so well together, and I am a great mac cheese fan so this is right up my street, perfect comfort food and a good way to use roast chicken leftovers. Love the crispy topping too – anything with breadcrumbs suits me just fine! I have some little le creuset pots waiting for a good use and I think this will be one to try out.
Hope you like it, let me know how you get on!
made this this evening for dinner, big success!
The whole family absolutely loved it, so delicious, and a perfect way to use up cooked chicken.
Thank you Erin, so happy the whole family enjoyed it! And thank you so much for letting me know, it means a lot to hear back on how people get on with my recipes!
Lovely recipe. The sauce with cream, parmesan and tarragon is really delicious and would be great on its own poured over a cooked chicken breast. Thank you Kavey! Definitely a recipe which will be used many times!!
Thanks Anna, yes I think that would be much like chicken Savoyard, one of the dishes that inspired this one, to an extent!! 👍
Can’t get my kids to eat the ‘brown’ leg meat from the roast chicken so this is the ideal way to use it up. I was searching for a recipe that chopped the meat up small and was so pleased when I found this. Have made it twice and it has gone down a treat both times. The last time I didn’t have any cream so just used milk and a bit extra Parmesan and it was still delicious, if a bit less decadent! Thank you for a great recipe 🙂
So lovely to hear that you’ve enjoyed my recipe and also that it’s giving you a way to serve up the brown meat and have the family enjoy it. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Kavey, I’m with you; I like the tarragon to be quite subtle. The predominant flavor here should be chicken, right? This looks like something my husband will like. I feel fortunate that he likes casseroles, because I grew up with a no-casseroles-allowed father.
No casseroles allowed? But that one word covers so very many very different dishes! I wonder what put your dad off them so much? Yes, indeed on the tarragon – clearly there but not overwhelming, though of course folks can up it if they like! Hope you and the husband enjoy this one!
Just made this for about the tenth time. Delicious as always. I add fresh tarragon, some sweet corn, green beans and broad beans to the pot for a complete dinner! Thanks for the recipe.
Ah that makes me so happy, thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know. Really appreciate it!
Tried this tonight after following a link to it from a Guardian ‘things to do with leftover roast chicken’ article. Felt the tried and tested Nigel Slater risotto could be given a miss for once. Fantastic recipe! Simple, silky, indulgent, look forward to doing it on a crisp Autumn evening. Your quantities were spot on too. Served it with a cheap bag of ‘use by today’ Italian Salad Leaves from Sainsburys and whizzed up some mustard dressing in the blender whilst it was in the oven. Might substitute a small glass of white wine for some of the stock next time, but suspect it doesn’t really need it 🙂
Tim, what a lovely comment, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed the recipe. I do try to ensure that amounts and instructions are accurate so your comment really makes me happy!
comfort food..so tasty..thank you! I look forward for your recipes…do you have a blog? Wish you all the best and thanks again
!
Yes this is my blog!!!!!
Really easy to make. Leaving out the salt it’s perfect baby and toddler food, there wasn’t a moment of hesitation when my grandson tucked into it. I chopped it up with scissors before he ate it so that there weren’t any big chicken pieces in there and the pasta was a bit smaller. I had boiled up the chicken carcass to make the stock so again no salt. Later in the evening, it heated up again really well for adults to eat and they loved it too. I think it’s the addition of the parmesan that makes it have a good depth of taste. Thanks for the recipe.
Delighted you and your grandson both enjoyed it, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, makes me so happy to hear!
I followed the link from the Guardian website. I have made this 4 times now. It is delicious. Easy to make, great recipe. Thank you.
That’s lovely to hear, thank you so much for letting me know! If you take a photo next time I’d love to see it! 🙂
Delicious! Best use of leftover Rotisserie chicken ever! Used Gruyere Cheese and added equal amounts of Sage and Tarragon and an onion. Can’t go wrong with Chicken & Tarragon, YUM!
Hello! This was delicious! I hope you don’t mind but I adapted it slightly by cooking some chopped smoky bacon together with a sliced leek in a separate pan then mixed it all up. Thanks for recipe. Will make again.
I don’t mind at all, happy to provide you with a starting point that you ran with to create something delicious!
Made this tonight – it was delicious! Thank you! Another left over chicken recipe to add to my list and save my husband from another chicken curry!
So happy you enjoyed it!
In the oven as I type. The sauce tastes amazing so looking forward to the whole dish when ready. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
My pleasure, I do hope you enjoy it. And if you happen to snap a photo, do please send it over, I’d love to see it.
this was outstanding! well, i imagine it will be, all ive done is lick the spoon after i was finished making the sauce. i over did some of your measurements coz iv got a full roasted chook to do. it looked nice & yummy & hubby said it smelt fantastic while the sauce was cooking. its finished & im going to heat it for dinner tonite – thanx for a special dish – which will be a keeper!
Hope it was enjoyed by all. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, I really appreciate it!
This looks great (got here from The Guardian as well). Have you tried freezing it? Is there too much cream/cheese? thanks
I’ve not tried freezing it, as we always make it with leftover chicken from roast a day or two before. If you try, do please let me know?
Brilliant. My husband said I’m 71 and didn’t think that I be served a meal I hadn’t had before that I’d love and really enjoy. It was great
You (and your husband) have just made my day. Couldn’t ask for a more wonderful response! ❤️
Even across the ocean in Toronto, your recipe is GREAT !
Wonderful to hear!
This is my go to recipe for using up leftover chicken. Thanks for posting it. My little boys gobble this up everytime I make it.
So pleased the whole family enjoys it! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Kavey as always with your recipes this turns out fabulous so simple to make and delicious to eat.
Thank you so much, so pleased you enjoyed it.
My other half doesn’t like hot and cold on the same plate so although I can do a side salad as an option I know he won’t take any… so my “side” will be garlic bread 🙂
Love the look of this recipe, going to try it tonight – thanks for sharing!
Garlic bread is a perfect choice!
That sounds really delicious and a great way to use leftover chicken from a roast.
Thanks Janice
Salivating at the thought of making this again tonight. I skimp on the calories by using creme fraiche, but otherwise keep to the original. Always a winner!
Always good to hear about peoples’ adaptations!👍
Made this two weeks ago and it was so yummy that I am doing it again tonight! Very tasty indeed and a great way to use up leftover chicken without turning it into a curry!
So pleased you enjoyed it, thank you for taking the time to let me know! I really love hearing from readers! ❤️
This sounds gorgeous Kavey, so I am going to adapt for a veggie version using Linda McCartney “pulled chicken” (which has proved great in fake chicken noodle soup!). I think mushrooms could also make a great meat-free adaptation.
Good idea, please do let me know how it goes!
My family ADORES this recipe. A firm favourite! Thank you x
Great recipe! I used to eat Tuna Helper as a child and this reminds me of a grownup, whole food, version of my childhood favorite. Will be putting this in a regular rotation!