Chilli chicken and spinach gratin
A classic combination of chicken and spinach is pepped up with chilli spices and balanced with a velvety bechamel sauce, topped with cheese and browned in the oven.
39 K 3.7/5 (3 reviews)
1 hour 35 min.
Easy
18 people
9 IngredientsLast modified on: May 23th 2021
For 18 people, you will need:
- 1
3 lb + 2.3 oz chicken breast - 2
9 tablespoons olive oil - 3
6 tablespoons chilli spices - 4
5 lb + 4.5 oz fresh spinach - 5
5.5 oz butter - 6
2 lb + 10.3 oz bechamel sauce - 7
5.3 oz grated cheese - 8
salt - 9
pepper
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Cooking: 50 min.
All in all: 1 hour 35 min.
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: 17:55.Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 3 min.
Cut 3 lb + 2.3 oz chicken breast into medium-sized chunks.
Stage 2 - 7 min.
Pour 9 tablespoons olive oil into a large frying pan on high heat. When good and hot, add the chicken, salt and pepper.
Fry until lightly browned all over.
Fry until lightly browned all over.
Stage 3 - 1 min.
Turn off the heat, then add 6 tablespoons chilli spices and mix well to coat the chicken evenly with the spices.
Stage 5 - 30 min.
Prepare 5 lb + 4.5 oz fresh spinach, but leave raw.
Stage 6
Melt 5.5 oz butter in a large frying pan on high heat.
When good and hot add enough fresh spinach all at once to fill the pan.
Be careful: the water left on the leaves will spit at first, so take care not to get scalded.
When good and hot add enough fresh spinach all at once to fill the pan.
Be careful: the water left on the leaves will spit at first, so take care not to get scalded.
Stage 7 - 3 min.
Stir with a spatula until the spinach has shrunk down. as shown in the photo.
You have just "wilted" the spinach in butter – another cooking method.
Wilt all the spinach like this in batches, transferring it to a plate when done.
You have just "wilted" the spinach in butter – another cooking method.
Wilt all the spinach like this in batches, transferring it to a plate when done.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Butter a gratin dish and spread half the spinach in the bottom.
Salt and pepper.
Butter a gratin dish and spread half the spinach in the bottom.
Salt and pepper.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Add the chicken pieces.
Stage 10 - 3 min.
Spread half the bechamel sauce on top.
Stage 11 - 1 min.
Add the rest of the spinach; salt and pepper again.
Stage 12 - 3 min.
Finish with the remaining sauce and scatter grated cheese over the top.
Stage 13 - 40 min.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is nicely browned.
Your gratin is ready.
Your gratin is ready.
Remarks
You can replace the béchamel sauce with a Mornay sauce.
If you're using cooked spinach rather than fresh, omit steps 5 to 7.
If you're using cooked spinach rather than fresh, omit steps 5 to 7.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 490 RDI=190 % | 590 RDI=60 % | 810 RDI=120 % | 7,450 RDI=370 % | 31,190 RDI: 370 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 140 RDI=7 % | 590 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=7 % | 410 RDI=20 % | 1,730 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 18 people : 36.25 €
- Per person : 2.05 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fresh spinach
Like these other recipes: Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach, Rice and fresh spinach salad, Mixed vegetable curry, Baby spinach salad, How to prepare spinach, ... See them all 9
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes: Chicken club sandwich, Tex-Mex chicken burger, Chinese Soup, Chicken pie, Thai-style Chicken with Cashew Nuts, ... See them all 29
Bechamel sauce
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Croque-monsieur, Croque-monsieur potatoes, Gratin "grilled inside", Stuffed artichokes au gratin, Leek and Mimolette tart, ... See them all 29
Butter
Like these other recipes: Chestnut Fudge Cupcakes, Almond mug cake for Mary, Kervallon soup, Pork Chops Champvallon style, Spinach and cauliflower with sesame béchamel sauce, ... See them all 461
Other recipes you may also like
"Oeufs rabattus" with leeks
This quick French way of cooking eggs is similar to an omelette, but with the egg simply drawn in towards the centre during the brief cooking. The eggs here are cooked with sautéed leeks and served with delicious morteau sausage "crisps".March 29th 201741 K4.3 45 min.
Moussaka
Here is my personal version of this famous recipe from the eastern Mediterranean. It's a kind of gratin, made with layers of aubergines, cooked meat with tomatos and bechamel sauce with cheese.August 1st 2011377 K 14 2 hours 55 min.
Gratin Dauphinois
This recipe is a bit sensitive for people from Dauphiné (a French area around the city of Grenoble), many of them are sure to have the "true" recipe. Here is the version of the famous French chef Michel Guérard. The most interesting thing about gratin Dauphinois, is that it has a delicate hint of...August 13th 2016390 K 25 1 hour 3 min.
Endives
A very classic recipe, but which can easily fail due to two main errors: too much water in bottom of dish because endives give off a lot, and endives that are too bitter so that children hate it. Here is a method which avoids these two problems.February 14th 2012316 K5 1 hour 30 min.
Cabbage julienne with ham
A quick recipe: cabbage julienne cooked English style, pan-fried ribbons of ham, a knob of butter and some parsley, and it's ready.December 31th 2013227 K 34.1 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-04-06)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.