Mary Berry’s chicken cobbler is a one-dish supper of chicken thighs, leeks and mushrooms in a stock sauce, topped with cheese scone rounds. It bakes at 200°C (180°C fan/Gas 6) for 25 to 30 minutes and serves 6.
Berry has no chicken cobbler in her 28 books, but writes in Mary Berry Cooks (2014) that “cobblers can be sweet or savoury.” This version combines her chicken pie filling from Cooks Up a Feast (2019) with her cobbler scone method from Foolproof Cooking (2016).
The scone topping is where most people go wrong. Berry says to rub butter into flour with your fingertips until it “resembles fine breadcrumbs,” then add just enough liquid for a soft dough. Overwork it and the cobbler turns tough.
Mary Berry Chicken Cobbler Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy6
servings30
minutes45
minutes605
kcalAssembled from five Berry sources across four cookbooks: chicken thigh casserole base from Cooks Up a Feast and Cooks the Perfect, cheese scone cobbler topping from her Foolproof Cooking cobbler method and Ultimate Cake Book savoury scone.
Ingredients
- For the filling:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 800g/1lb 12oz), each cut into 3 pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
25g (1oz) butter
2 large leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1cm (½in) rounds
200g (7oz) button mushrooms, halved
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm (½in) dice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
40g (1½oz) plain flour
450ml (15fl oz) chicken stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
3 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the cheese cobbler topping:
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp mustard powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
50g (2oz) cold butter, cubed
75g (3oz) mature Cheddar, grated
1 egg, beaten
3 to 4 tbsp milk
a little extra grated Cheddar, for sprinkling
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in two batches until golden brown all over, then transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the leeks to the casserole and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to soften. Add the mushrooms, carrots and garlic and fry for another 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Sprinkle in the plain flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, stirring all the time, and bring to the boil. The sauce will thicken as it bubbles.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard, thyme and crème fraîche. Return the chicken and any juices to the casserole, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Make the cobbler topping. Measure the self-raising flour, baking powder, mustard powder and cayenne into a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated Cheddar.
- Add the beaten egg and enough milk to bring the mixture together into a soft but not sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat out until about 1.5cm (¾in) thick. Cut into rounds using a 5cm (2in) plain cutter, re-rolling the trimmings as needed.
- Arrange the scone rounds on top of the chicken filling, slightly overlapping around the edge and in the centre. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle with the extra Cheddar.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cobbler topping is risen, golden brown and firm to the touch. The filling should be bubbling around the edges. Leave to settle for 5 minutes before serving.
FAQS
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs for this cobbler?
You can, though thighs are the better choice for a dish that bubbles away in the oven. Berry uses boneless thighs across most of her casserole recipes, including her Country Chicken Casserole in Cooks the Perfect (2014). The darker meat stays juicy during the longer cooking time.
Breast meat dries out faster once the sauce starts to reduce. If you do swap, cut the breasts into larger chunks and brown for just 2 minutes per side. Berry’s chicken stroganoff uses breast meat, but that dish has a shorter oven time.
What’s the difference between a cobbler and a pie?
Berry defines a cobbler in Mary Berry Cooks (2014) as a filling “topped with a crust made from a scone-like dough.” A pie uses pastry, either shortcrust or puff, rolled thin and sealed over the top. The cobbler topping is thicker, softer and faster to make because there’s no chilling, rolling or blind baking involved.
Her Traditional Chicken, Leek, and Mushroom Pie from Cooks Up a Feast (2019) uses a full packet of puff pastry. It needs careful crimping and egg-washing. The cobbler version uses the same filling but swaps that pastry work for a scone dough you can have ready in 5 minutes. If you enjoy savoury baking, her quiche Lorraine is another good one-dish option.
Why add mustard powder to the cobbler topping?
Berry’s Cheese Scone Round in the Ultimate Cake Book (2003) includes both mustard powder and cayenne pepper alongside the Cheddar. The mustard sharpens the cheese flavour without making the scone taste of mustard itself. The cayenne adds a background warmth you won’t quite identify but would miss if it weren’t there.
Half a teaspoon is enough for the whole batch. More than that and the mustard becomes obvious, which fights the cheese rather than supporting it. Berry uses this combination in her cheese straws and savoury biscuits across several books.
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes, and Berry recommends this approach for her chicken pies. The Prepare Ahead note on her Traditional Chicken, Leek, and Mushroom Pie says the filling can be made “up to 1 day ahead.” Making it the night before actually helps, because the sauce thickens as it cools and the flavours develop overnight.
Keep the filling and topping separate until you’re ready to bake. Cut the scone rounds and arrange them on the cold filling just before it goes into the oven. The oven brings everything up to temperature together over the 25 to 30 minute bake.
What should I serve with chicken cobbler?
Berry serves her Country Chicken Casserole with “mash to soak up the sauce” and her chicken pie with just a green vegetable alongside. The cobbler already has carbohydrate in the scone topping, so you don’t need potatoes unless you want them.
Steamed broccoli or buttered cabbage works well because you need something fresh against the rich filling. Her cauliflower cheese pairs well with chicken suppers, though it’s a heavier option. A dressed green salad with sharp lemon vinaigrette also cuts through the cream in the sauce.
How do I stop the cobbler topping going soggy?
Berry’s cobbler method in Foolproof Cooking (2016) works specifically because the scone rounds sit on top of the filling rather than sinking into it. Pat the dough out to 1.5cm thick, not thinner, so the rounds hold their shape. Arrange them with slight gaps between each one so steam can escape around the edges.
The other key is oven temperature. Berry bakes her fruit cobblers between 180°C and 220°C depending on the recipe. For a savoury cobbler with a wet filling underneath, 200°C (180°C fan) is the sweet spot. Too low and the base stays damp; too high and the cheese browns before the inside cooks through. If your paprika chicken finishes faster, this one likely needs the full 30 minutes.
