dinner:

easy chicken pot pie

Published 31st July 2018

A good pie is perfect for a cold Winters day, especially one that is super easy and quick to prepare.

This chicken pot pie is packed full of vegetables and has more of a gravy to it rather than a creaminess like my Chicken, Pumpkin and Leek Pies. Both are tasty in their own right, but this pot pie has more nutritional value and at the end of the day they are very different. I have topped this one with filo pastry, which enables the filling to be made in advance, requiring only the pastry to be added in the evening, just before going in the oven.

 
 
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People often view a pie as a poor choice, which may be the case when the pie is highly processed, and the filling doesn’t resemble meat. Homemade pies do not fit into this category. Yes, they contain pastry, which isn’t a food we should be eating all the time, but it does form part of a healthy BALANCED diet. A homemade pie is essentially a casserole with a case. So, when you think of it like that, a pie filling can be whatever you like and the more veggies you can pop in there, the more nutrition you will get out of your meal. If you feel like making a beef and bacon pie with no veggies, then do it, just have some veggies or salad on the side.

The kids enjoyed this pie and they especially liked the crunch of the filo pastry on top. As the filling is at least half veggies, it is a suitable meal to be served on its own. Having said this, we did eat it with steamed green beans last time, but you could also add some roast or mashed potatoes as a side if you are looking for a more filling meal.

Enjoy xx.

 
 
 
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Ingredients:

Serves 4

  • 400g chicken thighs, chopped into chunks

  • 1 tbs olive oil

  • 2 leeks, white part, sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 large carrot, diced

  • 2 tsp thyme, chopped

  • 3 spring onions, sliced

  • 1 tbs flour

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1 cob or corn, kernels removed

  • 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 8-10 sheets of filo pastry

 

Method:

  1. Heat a large frypan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the leek, carrot and garlic and cook for ~5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and spring onions and cook for a further 1 minute.

  2. Add the chicken and cook until all sides are browned. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so the flour doesn’t stick. Add the chicken stock and stir to form a gravy. Add the corn and the spinach leaves and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and place into pie dish and refrigerate. (If you are making the pie filling just before eating, there is no need to refrigerate, instead, preheat the oven and skip to step 5).

  3. 50 minutes prior to eating, preheat oven to 180°C.

  4. Once the oven is at temperature, remove the pie filling from the fridge, cover the dish with foil or a lid and place into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

  5. Once the filling is heated, remove the pie filling from the oven. Scrunch up sheets of filo pastry, one at a time, and arrange on top of the filling. Return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crunchy.

  6. Serve as is or with greens or potato.