Lunch / Dinner
Grape Pickers' Skillet with Chicken
Pump up flavor while paring down prep (and dirty dishes) with this full-meal, single-skillet sensation. Build it, bake it, and serve it — all in one dish! Named for the “peasant” dish of layered potatoes encased in bacon, this dish was a favorite of grape pickers in France’s Burgundy region. Though this one-skillet supper may seem provincial, you can’t beat the convenience of such an easy dinner.
This skillet is roasted in the oven, resulting in crisp bacon and perfectly cooked potatoes — but to make sure the bacon in the center crisps too, cook it briefly on the stove top first. Be sure not to overlap the bacon — it won’t crisp up or cook evenly. Not every slice will be the same size, so don’t worry about it covering the whole skillet. It is important, however, to thinly and evenly slice the potatoes — a mandoline works great. This meal is best served directly from the skillet. If you turn it out, you may lose some of the bacon “shell” if it sticks to the skillet.
Ingredients
LINE:
LAYER:
Test Kitchen Tip
Be sure to use thin slices of bacon, rather than thick — thicker slices won’t cook completely in the allotted time. Arrange the slices so they don’t overlap
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°.
Line an 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon, covering the bottom and the sides and leaving a third of each strip hanging over sides. Sprinkle thyme over bacon.
Layer half the potatoes onto bacon and thyme, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle ¼ cup Gruyère over potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering with chicken and ¼ cup Gruyère. Continue layering with leeks, garlic, remaining potato slices, salt, pepper, and remaining Gruyère.
Fold hanging pieces of bacon strips to the center of skillet, covering entire top. Transfer skillet to stove top and cook over medium heat, 10 minutes.
Cover skillet with foil, transfer to oven, and roast 30 minutes. Remove foil and roast until bacon is crisp and potatoes are fork-tender, 30 minutes more. Let skillet rest 10 minutes, then drain drippings and loosen edges to serve.
Position the bacon strips so they’re close together, but not overlapping, in the center of the skillet.
Placement of the potatoes isn’t crucial but try to make the layers equal so the potatoes cook evenly.
Try not to let the bacon pieces overlap in the center because it prevents any covered bacon from crisping.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 386
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 36%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 62mg 20%
Sodium 417mg 17%
Carbs 22g 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 19g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.