Julienne is a French cutting term, but in home cooking it usually means a creamy mushroom-and-cheese appetizer baked in individual cocottes. The classic version uses button mushrooms, thinly sliced chicken, and a proper béchamel rather than cream poured straight from the carton. The filling should occupy no more than two-thirds of each dish; mushrooms sit on or with the chicken, sauce covers everything, and grated cheese becomes the golden crust.
The seven recipes below cover the classic oven version, dried porcini, a skillet shortcut, mixed mushrooms without chicken, a hearty potato bake, tartlets for a party, and a fish-and-shrimp variation. They are not copies of one another: each has its own ingredients and steps so you can cook it without flipping back to another method.
Recipe | About | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Classic cocotte julienne | about 1 hour | the standard festive starter |
Dried white mushrooms | about 2 hours 45 min including soak | deeper aroma |
Skillet julienne | about 45 min | no oven |
Mixed mushroom julienne | about 40 min | meatless |
Potato julienne | about 55 min | a full dinner |
Tartlets | about 40 min | a buffet |
Fish and shrimp | about 40 min | a seafood twist |
Classic julienne with chicken and button mushrooms
The classic appetizer is baked in cocottes with béchamel, sautéed mushrooms, chicken cut into thin strips, and a cheese crust. Fill the dishes only two-thirds of the way so the sauce and cheese have room to bubble.
Ingredients
- 400 g chicken breast
- 300 g button mushrooms
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 40 g butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 300 ml milk
- 100 g sour cream, optional
- 150 g hard cheese, grated
- pinch of nutmeg, optional
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the onion finely and sauté in oil until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until all the liquid evaporates.
- Cut the chicken into thin strips and fry in a little oil until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
- For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook until it turns light beige. Whisk in the milk gradually. Add salt and nutmeg. When the sauce thickens, stir in sour cream if using.
- Combine mushrooms, chicken, and sauce. Heat 1–2 minutes. Divide among cocottes or small baking dishes, filling no more than two-thirds.
- Cover with grated cheese. Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden.
Julienne with dried white mushrooms
Dried porcini or other white forest mushrooms give a deeper aroma than fresh button mushrooms. Soak them, keep the strained soaking liquid, then finish the dish like classic julienne.
Ingredients
- 60 g dried white mushrooms or porcini
- 400 ml warm water or milk for soaking
- 400 g chicken breast
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 40 g butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 200 ml milk, plus 50–100 ml strained soaking liquid
- 150 g hard cheese, grated
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the dried mushrooms in a colander. Cover with warm water or milk and soak 1–2 hours, or overnight in cold water for a stronger flavor.
- Drain, keeping the liquid. Strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth. Chop the softened mushrooms.
- Sauté the onion until translucent, add the mushrooms, and cook until fragrant. Fry the chicken strips separately until golden.
- Make béchamel with butter, flour, milk, and 50–100 ml of the strained soaking liquid. Combine with chicken and mushrooms, season, and divide among cocottes.
- Top with cheese and bake at 180°C/350°F for about 30 minutes, until golden.
Skillet julienne
Julienne can be finished on the stove when you do not want to heat the oven. You will not get the same baked cheese crust, but the creamy mushroom-and-chicken base is still a full meal with croutons or pasta. Fry in a mix of oil and butter.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken fillet
- 500 g button mushrooms
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 50 g butter
- 200 g sour cream
- 100 g heavy cream, 15–20% fat
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 150 g hard cheese, grated
- parsley
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in oil until the liquid evaporates.
- In a second pan, brown chicken cubes in a little oil. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft, then add the mushrooms.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir, then add sour cream and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the grated cheese and simmer 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and the cheese melts. Finish with parsley. Serve hot with croutons or pasta.
Mixed mushroom julienne
A meatless julienne using button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and white mushrooms in equal amounts. Brown the flour separately so the cream sauce stays smooth.
Ingredients
- 100 g button mushrooms
- 100 g oyster mushrooms
- 100 g white mushrooms or porcini, fresh or soaked
- 70 g onion
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 50–70 g hard cheese
- 200 ml cream
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt and spices
Instructions
- Finely chop the mushrooms and onion. Crush the garlic and grate the cheese.
- Heat oil in a pan, sauté the onion until translucent, then add garlic, mushrooms, salt, and spices. Cook until the mushrooms are soft.
- In a dry pan, toast the flour until it turns creamy. Add butter, stir 1–2 minutes, then whisk in the cream and bring just to a boil.
- Divide the mushrooms among greased baking dishes, pour over the sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake at 200°C/400°F for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is golden.
Hearty julienne with potatoes
Potato julienne is a full dinner rather than a small appetizer: fried potatoes on the bottom, chicken and mushrooms in a cream sauce, cheese on top.
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes
- 250 g fresh or canned mushrooms
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 onion
- 200 ml cream
- 100 ml milk
- 200 g hard cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Fry in oil until almost tender and spread in a baking dish.
- Boil or fry the chicken breast, then cut it into pieces. Sauté the onion and add the mushrooms.
- Toast the flour in a dry pan until creamy, whisk in the milk, and cook until thick. Stir this sauce into the chicken and mushrooms, then add the cream. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Spread the mixture over the potatoes. Cover with grated cheese and herbs if you like.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender and the top is golden.
Julienne in tartlets
The same creamy mushroom-and-chicken filling baked in edible tartlet shells instead of cocottes. A practical party snack: portioned, crisp at the edges, and ready in one tray.
Ingredients
- 10 ready savory tartlet shells, about 7–8 cm
- 250 g chicken breast
- 200 g button mushrooms
- 1 small onion
- 30 g butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 150 ml milk
- 80 g sour cream
- 120 g hard cheese, grated
- salt and black pepper
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Sauté the onion until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until dry. Fry thin chicken strips separately until golden.
- Make a small béchamel with butter, flour, and milk, then stir in sour cream. Combine with chicken and mushrooms and season.
- Spoon the filling into the tartlet shells. Do not overfill. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the shells are hot. Serve at once so the pastry stays crisp.
Julienne with fish and shrimp
White fish and shrimp replace chicken. Mushrooms and a cream sauce still hold the dish together; the seafood goes in at the end so it does not overcook.
Ingredients
- 250 g white fish fillet
- 200 g shrimp, peeled
- 200 g mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 50 g butter
- 50 g hard cheese, grated
- 100 ml milk
- 200 ml cream
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt, pepper, and oil for frying
Instructions
- Sauté the onion and mushrooms in oil until the liquid evaporates.
- Cut the fish into large pieces. If the shrimp are large, chop them; leave small shrimp whole.
- In a saucepan, toast the flour until it changes color, add butter, then whisk in milk and cream. Add the fish and cook until just done. Add the shrimp and cook 1 minute more.
- Fold in the mushrooms, divide among baking dishes, and cover with cheese.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
How to serve julienne
Cocottes, ceramic ramekins, metal muffin pans, or one larger baking dish all work. If you bake a single dish, divide it into portions at the table. Nutmeg, black pepper, dried garlic, thyme, paprika, or herbes de Provence suit the cream sauce; use them lightly so they do not hide the mushrooms.
Any good melting cheese is fine. Cream can be swapped for sour cream, yogurt, milk, or even coconut milk, though sour cream and yogurt add a slight tang.
FAQ
What kind of cheese should be used for julienne?
Use a good melting cheese you like — moderately flavored hard cheese is the usual choice. Poor-quality cheese can make the crust oily or bland.
Can cream be substituted in julienne, and with what?
Yes. Sour cream, plain yogurt, milk, or coconut milk all work. Sour cream and yogurt make the sauce a little tangier; milk makes it lighter.
How do you make julienne without cocottes or tartlets?
Use ceramic or metal muffin pans, small heatproof bowls, or one large baking dish and portion after baking.
What spices best highlight julienne?
Black pepper, nutmeg, dried garlic, thyme, paprika, or Provence herbs. Keep the amounts modest so the creamy mushroom flavor stays in front.
Should the filling fill the whole cocotte?
No. Stop at about two-thirds full so the sauce can bubble and the cheese can form a crust without overflowing.
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