Chicken Casserole

I love cooking.  I find that it relaxes me after a day at work, sat behind a desk and occasionally troubleshooting random problems.  I also love the looks and sounds of appreciation that you get from my dining companions as they tuck into a lovingly prepared meal.  All of those things go towards why I write this blog, it's an extension of my cookery passion.

There are some days however, when Z gets to the stove before I do.  Getting home and cooking is relaxing, but coming home to the smells of an already cooked meal knocks spots of any bad day at the office.

Z works three days a week and spends the other four looking after me and the boy.  Today she went the whole hog and cooked a chicken casserole so that the three of us could sit down and eat together before R's bed time*.

Z fried off some bacon and two chicken thighs in a big pan.  She then added carrots, celery, onions, half a bottle of red wine and some vegetable stock before simmering for two hours.  She then shredded the chicken and added it back to the pan with some sliced mushrooms and simmered the whole lot for a further half an hour.  By the time I got home all that was left to do was mash some potatoes and eat.  Thanks Z!

*R goes to bed around 7 after a bath which is why we usually eat so late.  This is also the reason why these posts are often a day behind themselves or at least very late at night.