Suitable from
6+ months and a family favourite - Perfect for BLW, toddlers and big kids
Does anyone else love a chicken bake?! The next time you fancy one try making them yourself with this delicious recipe, you know exact what’s gone into them, have hidden veg and have no added salt so they’re suitable to wean with BLW (baby lead weaning) from 6+ months.
I made these chicken bakes with broccoli, however they are just as delicious with mushrooms, leeks, or even spinach! They're so versatile you could add just about any vegetable to them and they will still be enjoyed by the fussy eaters.
This is a great recipe for the whole family, not just for babies or toddlers. For a main evening meal try serving them with a side of new potatoes and fresh vegetables for a balanced family meal.
Before I baked these chicken bakes I made them into parcels, I actually love how no two look exactly the same and it's such an easy way to enclose the filling. All you need is a sharp knife or pizza cutter to make 8 squares then bring the corners to the middle and pinch down the sides. Have a little look at the video for a full tutorial.
It's really easy to make these baby friendly chicken bakes, by using ready made puff pastry it's ready in just a few short steps. This recipe is also a perfect way to use up any leftovers, if you have any leftover roast chicken or any vegetables leftover from a Sunday roast you can use them up in this recipe!
You can also make these chicken bakes vegetarian by making them with Quorn chicken pieces so they are a 'non chicken bake' or just leave it out and add extra broccoli or other vegetables of choice.
To make this recipe dairy free if your baby or anyone is allergies then substitute the double cream with a dairy free substitute and add a couple of crushed garlic cloves for flavour instead of the cheese. I've tried them - they're just as delicious.
If you like the look of these cheesy chicken and broccoli bakes then try out these pulled chicken quesadillas or this mini quiche medley
"Made this tonight with our leftover roast chicken...Wow what a lovely recipe, our 10 month old baby loved it and we enjoyed them with a salad! Thank you for a great recipe" - Georgie on Instagram
Makes 8
Chicken and Broccoli Bakes
Ingredients
1 roll of ready made puff pastry
1 large chicken breast
1/2 a head of broccoli (around 200g)
125ml double cream
70g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
Method
Preheat oven to 200c
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes in the oven then live to cool slightly before shredding using two forks
Meanwhile boil the broccoli for around 7 minutes until it is soft, drain then roughly chop the florets with a knife
Heat a little butter or oil in a frying pan on a low heat then add the broccoli and sauté for a few minutes before adding the cream, and then the cheese. Stir well until the cheese has melted
Add the chicken to the mixture and mix everything well
Meanwhile, use a pizza cutter to cute the pastry into 8 even sections. Add around a tbsp of the mixture to each pastry section then bring the four corners of the pastry to the middle where the filling is and press the sides together with your fingers to create a parcel shape. They don’t need to be perfect, mine certainly aren’t but that’s what makes it look authentic
Whisk an egg together and give each parcel a quick egg wash, then bake in the oven at 200c for 18 minutes
Leave to cook before serving as it will be piping hot in the middle