Chicken Macaroni Gratin

This hearty gratin is filled with creamy, cheesy, chicken goodness. The fun part is that you can add whatever other ingredients you like — broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, blue cheese, or even pieces of a hardened baguette! Just be patient until the desired color of golden brown on top is achieved.

Make sure you have a gratin dish that fits in BALMUDA The Toaster!

Recipe by food stylist Nami Iijima

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 2.5 oz macaroni
  • 1 small chicken thigh
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 of a whole onion
  • 3 mushrooms
  • 1/3 of a spinach bunch
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • Moderate amount of shredded cheese
  • White Sauce Ingredients
  • 2.5 tbsp flour
  • 2.5 tbsp butter
  • 450 ml milk
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • A little white pepper (to taste)

Directions

Ready in 30 minutes

  1. Slice the onions and mushrooms, cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces, and sprinkle with salt (1/4 teaspoon).
  2. Boil the macaroni in salted water for one minute less than the indicated cooking time (depending on the type of macaroni). Drain and set aside.
  3. Boil the spinach in salted water. Drain, squeeze out the water, and cut into 2 inch pieces.
  4. Heat a large pan and add the butter. When it melts, add the flour and fry over low heat for 2 – 3 minutes. When the bubbles start to form, add warm milk and simmer over low heat for 5 – 6 minutes while stirring. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
  5. Pour the vegetable oil into a separate hot frying pan and fry the chicken skin side down. When it is browned, add the white wine and water, and cook for 5 minutes. Add to the white sauce from Step 4.
    In the same frying pan you fried the chicken, pour a little more vegetable oil and lightly fry the onions and mushrooms.
  6. Add the onions, mushrooms, macaroni and spinach to the white sauce mix, combine, and bring to a boil.
  7. Put Step 6 into a heat-resistant container, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake in BALMUDA The Toaster until browned.
  8. If the ingredients are cooled, bake on Oven Mode at 200°C for 10 minutes. If the ingredients are warm, bake on Oven Mode at 230°C for 5 – 7 minutes to brown the surface.