This Chicken and Vegetable Pie Recipe is a family fave, featuring on our family meal plan at least twice a month.
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Pie Recipe
For my family, this recipe provides one family dinner for four and a work lunch for my husband.
I’ve included instructions for freezing and defrosting below because it is super easy to do, and this makes this recipe perfect to make ahead to eat on busy week nights.
To start, a few hints and tips;
- When lining the pie tin or dish I use 2 sheets of thawed puff pastry. I place one piece into the base of the pan and then cut the second piece into strips to use to ensure the pastry overhangs approximately 2-3 cms/1 inch.
- Use a ravioli cutter or fork to seal the edges of the pie before cutting off any excess overhang.
- I use a glass pie dish when I make a pie so that I can see if the bottom has crisped.
- Double the recipe and make an extra pie for the freezer and you’ll have a family dinner ready to go when you need it.
- This pie can be re-heated when made in advance, and it freezes* well.
How to prepare and re-heat a frozen chicken and vegetable pie:
Defrost the pie by placing it in the fridge a day before it is required. My preferred method, once the pie is defrosted is:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat the defrosted pie in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Place the pie into the pre-heated oven to crisp the pastry. This will take approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven (this method is based on a fan forced oven).
- Rest for 5 minutes and slice to serve.
For more easy chicken dinner recipes, check out these Chicken Meatballs or these Lemon Honey Chicken Skewers. Or for more great family dinner ideas, this Sausage and Rice Bake recipe and our super Easy Fried Rice.
Chicken and Vegetable Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 leek chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1-2 chicken breast fillet or thigh fillets - approximately 400 grams chopped into 1-2 cm pieces
- salt and pepper
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs - leaves removed
- 6 fresh chives chopped
- 60 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 small carrot diced
- handful of green beans chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 4 medium sized mushrooms chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- 4 pieces of frozen puff pastry
Instructions
- Add oil to a heated pan and add the chopped leek and garlic.
- Stir until they start to soften, then remove and set aside .
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan with a small amount of oil (if required) and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to colour on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside .
- Add the wine to the pan and bring to a simmer .
- Add the herbs and stir then wait until the wine reduces by about half.
- Pour the wine and herbs onto the chicken that has been set aside .
- Turn the oven on to heat to preheat at 180ºC/350ºF (using fan forced and top and bottom element if that is a function on your oven).
- Melt the butter in the pan on a low heat .
- Slowly sprinkle in the flour, stirring into the butter constantly. Once combined cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat.
- Add the chicken stock slowly pouring and combining it with the flour and butter, stirring to avoid lumps.
- Continue stirring until all the stock is added and it is combined .
- Add the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes .
- Add the chicken, wine and herbs, stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste and season as required. The sauce should be thick. Remove from heat.
- Grease the bottom and sides of the pie tin or dish with butter or oil.
- Lay the thawed puff pastry into the base of the pan ensuring there is an overhang of approximately 2cm. Cut the second piece of pastry into three strips and join them to the sides and the top of the base piece as required, to allow the pastry to be larger than the tin or dish used.
- Add the chicken filling and then cover with the third piece of pastry.
- Use a ravioli cutter or fork to seal the edges of the pie before cutting off any excess overhang.
- Put the pie in the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes until just golden brown on top.
- After this amount of time change your oven setting to just the bottom element to ensure the base is crisp for an extra 5-10 minutes. If you do not have this function on your oven don’t panic, your pie will still work it just may not be as crisp on the bottom
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing to serve
- Serve with either a fresh garden salad or a baked potato and vegetables.
Notes
Double the recipe and make an extra pie for the freezer and you'll have a family dinner ready to go when you need it.
How to prepare and re-heat a frozen chicken and vegetable pie:
Defrost the pie by placing it in the fridge a day before it is required. My preferred method, once the pie is defrosted is:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
- Heat the defrosted pie in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Place the pie into the pre-heated oven to crisp the pastry. This will take approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven (this method is based on a fan forced oven).
- Rest for 5 minutes and slice to serve.
For more family friendly dinner ideas, check out these related recipes;
Kyrstie Barcak is a mum to two boys aged 6 and 3 years. She writes about the fresh produce grown in their family garden and the seasonal menus
that result at A Fresh Legacy-Grow Fresh Cook Fresh. Kyrstie is passionate about cooking fresh meals for her family and friends. She supports local farmers and producers when there is not enough to collect from her garden and likes to make her family’s food from scratch.
I love Kyrstie’s recipes and am always looking to add a new recipe into the repertoire, but they have to be easy with not too much mucking around, and child friendly. I trust Kyrstie as she consistently delivers those types of recipes. This pie dish is no exception. We made it for dinner last night and both my boys (3 and 16 months) cleaned their plates (so did Mummy and Daddy). My anti-green things 3 year old even ate the beans, now that’s a compliment!
Tasted even better today as leftovers for lunch.
Thank you for featuring this, we will be making it again.
Kate
I am so pleased to hear this was a hit with your family Kate. I often use peas instead of beans in this recipe if you really want to push the green test 🙂
Really great recipe really easy to do is well thanks !!!!
Hi Jamie, I am pleased that you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Kyrstie