This Painless Chicken and Bacon Pie provides all the comfort you want from a pie with half the effort. Whilst not being completely encased in pastry it has a puff pastry ‘lid’. This really does give you the same satisfaction. If you are someone who is counting the carbs (I know some of you are) you have half the pastry and all of the flavour.
This can be made in individual ‘pot pies’ if you have the right size pots. You can also cook it on the stove top and bake individual pastry lids. You can have fun with this, children love cutting their own shaped lid. My pie pots are from from www.lecrueset.co.uk
This is a bit of a staple in my kitchen. Especially in the colder months as the nights draw in and the temperatures drop. You may use any stock you like, from a stock cube, concentrate, shop bought or homemade. If using stock cube I suggest you watch the salt as bacon naturally is salty and over-salting is pretty impossible to rectify. If you want to make your own stock take a look at my Easy Chicken Stock Recipe.
Whilst there are certainly times when making your own pastry is called for. I don’t think this is one of those times. I use shop bought puff pastry. This turns this meal into a midweek dish that can be put together in less than 40 minutes. If you wish to give yourself the extra work and all the gloat-ability that comes from it, then by all means make and roll and cut your own pastry.
This pie filling pairs wonderfully with a short crust pastry with thyme leaves added to the dough. One last thing on pastry if you are going to all of the effort of making short crust, make double and freeze one pie fully then defrost and bake. I love the combination of thyme infused short crust case and a puff pastry lid. The textures really play well with the warm filling. Some fresh thyme leaves scattered on top of the pie before baking also add something to the overall look.
This pie can take your own modifications brilliantly; mushrooms add a darker comfort, leeks and cauliflower change it’s character again. This pie with white wine and carrots, becomes much lighter, for those spring evenings when you want a different sort of cosiness. If adding extra veg, throw in once the bacon has started to crisp and allow to cook, carrots could always be parboiled before throwing them in for speed.
I hope you try this painless chicken and bacon pie out and enjoy this as much as I do. Let me know how you do it in the comments below. If you try it show me how it goes on Instagram and tag me @cubbinthekitchen for a chance to be featured in my stories.
Painless Chicken & Bacon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Garlic Oil
- 100 grams Bacon Lardons 2-3 Rashers Chopped
- 2 Chicken Legs or 4 Thigh fillets
- 3.5 tbsp Plain Flour All Purpose
- 0.5 tsp Dried Thyme
- 0.5 tsp Paprika
- 100 grams Frozen Petit Pois
- 250 ml Chicken Stock Recipe
- 50 ml Red Wine
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° Fan or 200° Conventional.
- In a saucepan drizzle in the Garlic Oil and add the Lardons (or Bacon) let it sizzle and begin to crisp.
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks.
- In a bowl mix the Flour, Thyme & Paprika, then add the chicken and toss to coat. You could just as easily do this in a freezer bag.
- Add the flour and chicken mix to the pan and stir into the bacon and oil until the chicken takes a bit of colour.
- Now add the wine allow to bubble for 30 seconds or so to get some alcohol off then stir in the hot chicken stock to form a sauce.
- Add the frozen peas and allow this sauce to bubble and it will thicken as the cooking continues.
- Now you have two options if you have individual pie sized pots then you are welcome to divide the pie mixture between these then line the tops with the pastry, brush with an egg wash or milk or even watered down honey and bake for 15-20 mins.
- If, like many kitchens, you do not have individual pie pots then continue to let the pie-filling cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is as thick as you like.Whilst this is happening cut the pastry into the desired shape, give it a brush with egg or milk or watered down honey and bake for 10-15 mins depending on shape.
Notes
LEFTOVERS TIP
This pie filling also tastes fantastic stirred through pasta for another kind of comfort that only pasta provides.You could also make small hand pies or pasties and freeze them for picnic, packed lunches or those moments when you need some simple comfort food.
