I'm trying to squeeze 3 meals out of one chicken, so please come help me make chicken pie

[sherbydrivinginhercar]

I've got ready made pastry, cooked chicken, frozen peas and fresh carrots. Also got the stuff for the white sauce. Can somebody talk me through the actual method though. I was thinking make the white sauce then chuck the veg and chicken into that for a while 5/10 mins maybe? Put the pastry in the pie dish, can I do a base as well as a top? and then how long in the oven?

Any help welcome, thanks

I would cook the carrots and peas first. Yes you can do a base. Then cook for as long as it says on the pastry packet, or until it looks cooked!

for future chicken stretching exercises - roast chicken risotto is v. good.

Thanks for replies, I just found a Nigella one in old threads. Risotto sounds good, will give that a try next week.

What Kathy said. I did a chicken pie recently and it was very nice but a little bland so I recommend you chuck some herbs in with the veg. Tarragon maybe.

You could put a little bit of bacon in there too if you've got some, to counteract the blandness Franke warns of.

We had chicken pie yesterday, browned the chicken, added bacon and cooked the bacon. Made the white sauce, add some leeks to the white sauce mixed the sauce with the chicken and bacon, put in a pie dish and just added a pastry top - delicious!

I stretch a chicken for three days too. Hadn't thought of chicken pie but may have to give it a go now. In future you could try rissotto, jumbalya, chick soup, curry (use all the left over veg from the roast with this)

Chicken pie is very nice with mushrooms, ham and spring onions.

Doesn't anyone else buy a whole (free range) chicken just for jointing/stock? I do that and I find it's a lot more economical than doing a roast (and tons more economical than buying ready jointed pieces). We have a roast chicken once in a blue moon (although we do really enjoy it).

I find roasted parsnips are delicious in a chicken pie.

So if I've got cooked chicken leftovers, how many days later can I reheat? (chicken cooked Saturday, probably going to kill if I serve in a risotto tomorrow...?)

Personally I wouldn't reheat it after more than a couple of days, but perhaps I'm over cautious.

We had roast chicken and two days later I made chicken pie, so the chicken was reheated. i wasn't sure whether i could do it so i asked my mother in law and she does it all the time. They have chicken one day, bubble and squick the next, when chicken is cold and chicken pie the following day. I think it's okay to have it with rissoto.

I keep roast chicken for up to 5 days

Chicken risotto YUM YUM:

• fry chopped up bacon and an onion until just browning
• toss in chopped up chicken bits for 2 mins
• toss in spoonful of tarragon
• toss in risotto rice - stir - set timer for 18 minutes or however long rice takes to cook
• toss in BIG glassful of white wine - stir
• toss in mug of chicken stock made with cube - stir and leave until timer has five mins left
• toss chopped up broccoli on top (or whatever veg left over from roast)
• turn off when beeper goes. I sometimes stir in a spoonful of cream or creme fraiche if I have some, and serve with tosated pine nuts on top.

DELICIOUS

The risotto sound good, I will try that today. Am I being really stupid but do you have to cook the risotto rice before you chuck it in the pan

no you just toss it in from the packet, and it takes 20 minutes to cook in the heat/stock/wine.

It's REALLY nice and DH loves it.

I would microwave the carrots - sliced, with some sunflower marg - first just to get them started. Leeks are nice in chicken pie. You don't need to cook them first.

My cheats chicken and Mushroom pie is as follows.

1 chopped onion fryed in oil.
2 add chicken (cooked or fresh)
3 On can of campbells Cream of mushroom soup
4 add chopped mushrooms.

I then add any frozen veg i have.

Cover with shop bought pastry egg wash and cook for 30mins.

I make a really nice chicken and ham pie and usually put mushrooms in too to make it go further.

NAB3wishesfor2008, could you share your recipe, please?

So you do only make pies with a top crust them?

I have never made a meat pie in my life but would be interested in trying.

I think this pie would be nicer with better quality ham.

Hands-on time: 15mins.
Cooking time: 30-35mins.
Serves 6

4 ready-roasted chicken breats, shredded.
100g/3.5oz cooked smoked ham, cubed.
142ml carton double cream. (I have done it with single when that was all I had and it was fine.)
75ml/3fl oz chicken gravy.
2tbsp finely chopped tarragon.
1tsp cornflour.
1/2 tsp English mustard.
250g/9oz ready-rolled puff pastry.
1 medium egg, beaten.

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas mark 6.
Put the chicken in a large bowl with the ham, then add the cream, gravy, tarragon, cornflour and mustard. Season with coarsly grated black pepper and mix together well.

Spoon into a shallow 1 litre/1 3/4 pint baking dish. Unroll the puff pastry and position over the top of the dish to cover. Trim to fit the dish, then press the edges down lightly around the rim. Brush the egg over the pastry. Cook for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and puffed up.

It sounds lovely. Thank you.