Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

In honour of British Pie Week I wanted to share a favourite pie recipe from our family that usually makes the most of the leftover roast chicken from a Sunday dinner.

You can use any vegetable you like – I’ve used leeks, peas and carrots here, but I’ve thrown in sweetcorn, broccoli and cauliflower before now and they all work well. 

Using up leftover meat is a win, win, as it makes it a speedier dinner whilst avoiding food waste. I have no shame in ALWAYS buying shop bought pastry - I sadly don't have a Kitchenaid or otherwise, nor the time to knock it up by hand. 

The gravy is a rich and unctuous one with a hint of creaminess from milk, but mostly made with chicken stock, so you needn't feel too guilty. 

Serve with a heap of vegetables, and your choice of buttery mash potato or chips – don’t go all healthy, if you’re having pie, you may as well go the whole hog. 

Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

Here’s how:

• 250-300g cooked chicken,
• 3 rashers smoked bacon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 100ml milk
• 300ml chicken stock 
• 2 leeks
• 1 large carrot
• 1 cup peas
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Black pepper & Sea salt
• 1 sheet ready prepared shortcrust pastry (Jus Rol or a supermarket brand is fine)
• 1 sheet ready prepared puff pastry
• 1 egg

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180◦.

Roughly chop the chicken and set aside for now.

Slice the leeks, and peel and dice the carrot and set aside with the peas.

Now chop the bacon into small pieces and add to a pan to fry in their own fat. If not enough fat is present, add a little of the butter.

While the bacon is cooking make up your chicken stock (unless you are using fresh – in which case remove it from the fridge), and measure out the milk.

Grab a whisk so you have it ready for making the sauce.

Once the bacon is cooked off, use a slotted spoon to remove it and place into a bowl for now.

Add the leeks to the pan and allow to soften well – cook for a good 4-5 minutes until soft.

Now add the carrots and allow to cook for a further minute. Using the slotted spoon again, remove the vegetables from the pan and place into the bowl with the bacon.

Add the remaining butter to the pan, which as it’s hot should melt pretty quickly. Add the flour to make a roux and immediately begin whisking to prevent a lumpy sauce.

Once it resembles a thick paste, then firstly add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly until the paste takes on the liquid and it becomes one.

Once all of the milk has been added, do the same with the stock, whisking all the time.

Now add the mustard powder, and season, still whisking as you go. Go gentle on the salt as bacon and the stock will have salt, but be generous with the black pepper to flavour.

Grate over some nutmeg to taste – I like a lot.

Now use a wooden spoon to continue stirring and allow the sauce to cook out for five minutes or until it has become thick and glossy.

Once the sauce has achieved the required consistency, return the bacon, leeks and carrots to the pan, with the peas and the chicken and stir well to coat everything. Now add the dried thyme and after a couple of minutes, taste to judge if you need any further seasoning.

Once happy allow to cook for a further few minutes, then remove from the heat.

Now generously grease the pie dish all over and simply lay the shortcrust pastry down pressing into the folds of the dish so it hangs over.

Spoon in the pie filling into the centre and evenly distribute in the pie plate. 

Beat the egg and use a pastry brush to coat all around the edge of the pie crust.

Now simply place the puff pastry sheet over the top of the shortcrust pastry – it will overlap quite a bit. Now use your thumb and press down on the pastry edge to crimp, placing a thumb mark down all the way round, one after the other. 

Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

Once crimped, then carefully trim away the excess pastry. If you’re feeling creative, you can roll this back out and cut into a pretty shape or the words Pie.

Brush all over with the egg wash and make a couple of small incisions in the pastry – ensuring you cut right through, to make sure the steam can escape and doesn’t leave you with soggy pastry.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Chicken, Bacon and Vegetable Pie

Here are a few more of our family's favourite pie recipes;

Beef and Lentil Filo Pie

Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

Squash and Goat's Cheese Pie

Steak and Ale Pot Pie

Cheese and Vegetable Pie

Beef and Lentil Filo Pie

This comfort food classic is a simple one that uses filo pastry as a crust instead of puff or shortcrust - I use shop bought that is always in my freezer, and the filling is much the same as it would be for a cottage pie.

Lean steak mince, lentils, a selection of vegetables; such as carrots, peas, celery and whatever else you may have to hand makes for a great, warming pie and served with creamy mashed potato you really cannot go wrong. Unless like me you are dieting - in which case excuse this recipe and don't look until the time comes that you need and crave pie.

It's also a great meal for all the family and our little sixteen month old loves it.

Beef and Lentil Filo Pie

Serves 3 (2 adults here and 1 tot)

Here's how:

• 250g lean steak mince
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 leek
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 carrots
• 2 tbsp peas
• 50g dried red lentils
• 1 Oxo cube
• Tin of beef consomme (Baxter's do a very good one) or 200g beef stock
• Drizzle of rapeseed oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 6 sheets of filo pastry
• 1 egg

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C and place a non-stick pan on a low heat on the hob with a drizzle of rapeseed oil.

Now peel and dice the onion and garlic and add to the pan to slowly and gently saute.

In the meantime, finely slice the leek and celery, peel and finely dice the carrot into small cubes and set aside for the moment with the peas and lentils.

Add the steak mince in a little at a time, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up and allow to slowly brown, adding more as it cooks. Once the meat is nearly all browned, add the carrots, leeks, lentils, peas and leeks to the pan and cook for a further three or four minutes. Crumble over the Oxo cube which will add flavour to the meat and the gravy.

Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and then pour over the consomme or beef stock and allow to cook for a good ten to fifteen minutes on a low heat. Once it has reduced down a little and the consomme has become more of a thick gravy and not pure liquid, you can transfer the dish to an ovenproof pie dish (TIP: if the gravy is not yet thick - cook a little longer, and if the consistency is still quite watery add 1/2 tsp cornflour and stir through and cook for a further five minutes - this should thicken it up a bit).

Now get the filo, which is a very delicate to the touch pastry, and simply place one sheet to cover all of the pie filling, then keep layering it up, scrunching up the final layer for some added crunch once baked.

Crack the egg into a little bowl or a mug, give a good whisk and then use a pastry brush to glaze the pastry topping.

Now use a sharp knife to make several slits in the pastry lid all the way down to the filling to allow air to escape and to prevent the pastry from being underdone or soggy.

Place into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with mash potato and a selection of green vegetables. Enjoy!