To be honest I am not really sure why this is called Swiss Chicken. Yes, there is some Gruyere or Swiss cheese involved, but really that is the only thing Swiss about it!
Like I said, no cream of whatever soup. Instead there is a lush and creamy rich sauce which gilds those perfectly golden sautéed pieces of chicken breast meat. Flavoured only with cream and Tarragon and some seasoning.
Creamy Swiss Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 (200g/7oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt, pepper and plain flour to dust
- 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 pound (200g)mushrooms, sliced
- 1 TBS chopped fresh Tarragon (or 1/2 TBS dried)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whipping cream
- 1 TBS brandy
- 4 large slices Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready a baking tray.
- Place your chicken between two pieces of plastic cling film and pound lightly until they are each about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and black pepper and dust lightly with flour.
- Heat half of the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken breasts presentation sides down, and brown on one side for approximately 3 minutes until golden. Flip over and brown on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
- Place onto the baking tray and pop into the oven while you make the sauce.
- Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan drippings. Throw in the mushrooms and garlic and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms have softened.
- Add the tarragon, cream and brandy. Stir over high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon the hot sauce over top, dividing it equally amongst the four pieces.
- Top each with a slice of cheese and pop back into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
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Easy peasy this is. Actually it is beautiful dinner party fare, and would make a brilliant option for Valentine's Day Supper. It is quick and easy to make, and yet tastes like you have been slaving all day over it. I served with English petit pois and roasted potatoes. Yum.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
- 1 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into coins
- 1/2 stalk celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken broth
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (35g) frozen peas
- 1/4 cup (35g) frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cup (210g) diced cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- 20 (approximately) frozen tater tots
Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into coins
- 1/2 stalk celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken broth
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (35g) frozen peas
- 1/4 cup (35g) frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cup (210g) diced cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- 20 (approximately) frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 6 by 8 inch deep casserole dish, or the equivalent in size.
- Melt the butter for the filling in a skillet. Add the onions, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until tender (7 to 10 minutes.) Add the garlic and cook for about a minute longer.
- Sprinkle the flour over top and stir to combine. Cook for a minute and then slowly stir in the milk and the chicken stock. Stir and cook over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens to a gravy consistency.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the thyme and nutmeg.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and the chicken, combining everything thoroughly together. Pour into the prepared baking dish and level off.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top and then lay the tater tots over the cheese in an attractive manner.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the casserole is bubbling and the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.
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I love fennel. It's one of my favourite vegetables. I am a real licorice lover and so I love it's mild licorice taste. It's wonderful braised and roasted, but my favourite way to eat it is raw.
There are two types of fennel. One is grown for it's seeds, which are delicious in sauces, and the other is grown for use as a vegetable, the most common type being Florence Fennel, which has a bulbous base, stalks which closely resemble celery and feathery fronds on top.
The bulbs should be heavy and white, firm and free of cracks, browning, or moist areas. The stalks should be crisp, with feathery, bright-green fronds. You can keep fennel for a few days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic, but try not to keep it more than a day or two because the flavor diminishes as it dries out.
I made a delicious slaw yesterday with some fennel that I picked up at the local green grocers at the weekend. I think I'll have the rest of it for my lunch today. This was really good.
*Carrot and Fennel Slaw*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe
This delicious slaw makes a light and refreshing change from regular coleslaw. I use my mandolin to slice the fennel and my box grater to do the carrots. But you could use the slicing and grating discs in a food processor as well, which would make really quick work of it. I love the mustard in the dressing. It adds a lovely bite to it. Adjust accordingly if you don't like things with a bite. Make the dressing first so that the flavours have time to really develop.
1 small to medium sized fennel bulb
3 cups peeled, shredded carrots (about 4 to 5 large carrots)
1/2 cup of minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
DRESSING:
5 TBS fresh orange juice
1 TBS of White Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
Place all the dressing ingredients into a glass jar with a lid, and give it a good shake. Set aside.
Remove the top greens and stalks from the fennel bulb. Save the feathery greens for the slaw. Trim off any bruised or tough pieces. Quarter the bulb and then cut out the core. Shred half of it using a grater, mandolin or food processor. Reserve the other half for another use. You should have about 1 cup of grated vegetable. Place it into a medium sized bowl, along with the carrot, onion, chopped fennel leaves and coriander. Toss together to mix. Just before serving, give the dressing a good shake and pour it over the slaw. Mix well and serve.
Steak, Stilton, and brown Ale. A beautiful combination . . . a well trusted combination . . . a delicious companionship that works so very well in pies and stews, giving the gravy a fabulous flavour, and helping to tenderize the meat. (Don't worry, the alcohol burns off!)
These scrumptious steak burgers contain all three ingredients . . . beginning with a lovely minced Pure Angus Beef, lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and dry onion soup mix . . . some egg, a touch bread crumbs and some lovely dark ale for additional flavours . . . all lightly shaped into hearty sized burgers . . .
Topped with the tangy creaminess of a good Stilton cheese . . . crumbled over top and left to melt . . . oozing delightfully down into all those meaty crevices . . .
A topping of lightly sauteed onions, quick braised in more ale is their crowning glory. It doesn't get much better than that folks!
This is a man pleasing burger absolutely . . . something hale and hearty to sink their teeth into . . . but I guarantee women will love it as well. This woman certainly does!
Tucked under a buttery toasted bun, these burgers are sure to please anyone! But don't take my word for it. Make some and try them out for yourself. It doesn't have to be summer for you to enjoy a good burger.
You can grill them on the Barbeque if you wish, five minutes on each side will do the trick. Or you can simply pan grill them. Either way they are delicious. I served them with some creamy coleslaw and roasted sweet potato wedges on the side. Win, win, win!!!
*Steak Burgers with Stilton and Ale*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe
Beef, Ale and Stilton . . . the holy trinity of beef cookery all tucked up into a crispy bun. Delicious!
900g of lean ground steak (2 pounds)
125ml of ale (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, fork beaten
3 heaped TBS of fine dry bread crumbs
1 TBS dry onion soup mix (stir before measuring it out)
salt and black pepper to taste
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
2 TBS butter
a further 125ml of ale (1/2 cup)
4 ounces of stilton cheese crumbled
Toasted buns to serve
Combine the meat, first amount of ale, egg, bread crumbs, onion soup mix, salt and pepper together in a bowl, mixing it all in well. Shape into 8 equal patties. Cook under a hot grill for about 5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink inside.
While the burgers are cooking melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions. Cook and stir until softened. Add the second amount of ale. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.
Toast the buns. Place a burger onto one half of each bun and crumble the stilton cheese over top. Place a spoonful of onions over top and place the top half of the bun over all. Serve hot.
- 1 tsp light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced
- 1/4 pound of ground beef, shaped into a flat patty (see notes)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 slice of sour dough bread
- 1/2 TBS of softened butter
- 2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 TBS Pub Cheese Sharp Cheddar Spread (I used McLaren's Imperial)
If you are a fan of the burger, you might also enjoy these lucious fork and knife burgers!
TINA'S BURGERS - My friend Tina who lives in the UK made wonderfully tasty burgers. Hearty and delicious, she had spent a number of years living in Australia where it is a habit to top burgers with a fried egg. With melted cheese, fried onions and crisp bacon, not to mention that fried egg, these were the some of the tastiest burgers I have ever eaten!
ONION PAN BURGERS - Ground steak burger patties are smashed down into a skillet with a quantity of sliced onions mashed into their surface. Once they are seared golden brown on the bottom, they are flipped so that you can fry the onions. Once the onions have softened, soft floury buns are split, the bottom halves being steamed over the onions until hot and the tops heated over a slice of cheese on top of the burgers. Put together these are quite simply lush and delicious. These are a real favorite.
Pub Cheese Open Faced Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 tsp light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced
- 1/4 pound of ground beef, shaped into a flat patty (see notes)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 slice of sour dough bread
- 1/2 TBS of softened butter
- 2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 TBS Pub Cheese Sharp Cheddar Spread (I used McLaren's Imperial)
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet with the oil. Heat over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and just beginning to caramelize.
- Remove the onions from the pan to a bowl, and set aside.
- Wipe out the skillet. Season your hamburger patty and add to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat to your desired doneness. Turn out the heat.
- Place the pub cheese on top of the burger patty. Place the cooked onions on top of the pub cheese. Cover with a lid and leave to sit over the residual heat of the burner to melt the cheese while you cook the bread.
- Spread the bread with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and press it into the butter to help it adhere.
- Heat a separate skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place the bread, Parmesan side down, into the skillet. Toast over medium heat without turning or disturbing until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown.
- To serve, carefully remove the cheese topped bread from the pan and place onto a plate, cheese side up. Top with the burger and onions and serve immediately.
Notes
You will want to shape your meat patty to roughly the same shape and size as your bread. In my case I used half a slice of bread as the sour dough was really large. This worked perfectly.
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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com .


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