Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Even when the weather is nice, you really can't go wrong with a good old homemade chicken pie, and that no matter the season. It is such a delicious recipe, I could honestly have a huge pie all by myself. This dish is just beautiful, you take it out of the oven, and you know that the whole world is yours.

Cooking the pastry properly can be such a task, my advice is to roll it thinly before placing it on top of the chicken mixture, otherwise it does not cook properly if it is too thick. But if you buy the ready-rolled pastry, then job done, nothing to worry about.

A crucial step is allowing plenty of time for the chicken filling to be cooled off completely before topping it with pastry, in order to avoid sogginess.

Pastry added to the hot filling simply starts melting off even before the pie makes it into the oven, and then the top cooks, while the bottom stays soggy no matter how long you try to cook it for - and bear in mind that the top will burn if left too long to bake.

Ingredients needed

• chicken breasts
• chopped mushrooms - or any kind
• vegetable oil
• onion - regular onion is the best for this recipe
• cloves of garlic
• a knob of butter
• spinach -fresh or frozen - optional
• chicken stock
• milk - full-fat milk is the best
• cornflour -corn starch
• salt and pepper - to taste
• ready-rolled puff pastry

Step-by-step photos and instructions

If you use ready-made and ready-rolled pastry, then all that needs to be done is cooking the filling. And that's such an easy job!

• cut the chicken breasts into chunks and season them with salt and pepper
• in a large pan, heat up the oil, add the chicken chunks and fry until golden on each side - don't worry if they are not cooked through at this stage, they will cook more in the oven
• remove from the heat and set aside
• in the same pan, add the butter, then add the mushrooms cut into halves or quarters
• cook the mushrooms until golden brown
• add the spinach if you use any - or any other greens
• pour in the chicken stock and milk
• mix the cornflour with 2-3 tablespoons of cold water to have a lump-free mixture, then add it to the pan
• leave to stir for 2-3 minutes until it thickens into a sauce, then season to taste
• remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely
• when it's cool, transfer it into an oven-proof dish, top with the pastry, and brush with beaten egg
• bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling hot

Easy swaps

What a dish this is! Full of flavour, filling, and perfect for little and big ones too. We all love it, and apart from the chilling time, it doesn't take too long to cook either.

The combo chicken and mushrooms is one of a kind. But, the recipe can be tweaked to one's liking. Ingredients can be added or omitted, depending on what you have around.

The spinach is absolutely optional, I love adding it in many dishes though, it's healthy, it's full of goodness, and adds a lovely touch of green - but do feel free to omit it if you don't like it.

Excellent additions could be leeks, carrots (although do make sure they are soften before going in the oven, otherwise they might not have time to become tender), sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, potatoes, or swede.

Chicken can, of course, be swapped for beef or pork, or any leftover roast. If you want to leave the meat out, this vegetarian Easy Vegetable Pot Pie is delicious, and super easy to make. Do give this pie a go, it's really yummy!