This Chicken and Vegetable Pie features on our family meal plan at least twice a month. It’s an easy chicken recipe and it’s super family friendly – ie. my kids eat it without complaint!
For my family this recipe provides one dinner 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 pre-prepare ahead to eat on busy week nights.
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Pie Recipe
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 whe 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.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
25 min
30 min
55 min
Save RecipeIngredients
- 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 then 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 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 180C/350F (using fan forced and top and bottom element if that is a function on your oven).
- Melt the butter in a 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 to taste. The sauce should be quite 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 third piece of pastry into three strips and join them to the sides and the top of the base piece to allow the pastry to be larger than the tin or dish used (see picture).
- Add the chicken filling and then cover with another piece of pastry.
- 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.
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.
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.
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