Chicken and Ham Pie

5 from 2 votes

This easy chicken and ham pie combines leftover cooked chicken, chunky ham, leeks and sweetcorn in a creamy sauce, all topped with golden puff pastry. A comforting family dinner that's perfect for using up leftovers.

Prep Time10

Cook Time32

Cooling time8

Total Time50

Diet: High Protein

Allergen: Dairy, Eggs, Gluten, Mustard

Servings: servings

Calories: 550kcal

Author: Dannii Martin

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of Olive oil
1 Leek sliced
1 Shallot large, diced
50 g of Plain flour
200 ml of Chicken stock
400 g of Leftover cooked chicken shredded
125 g of Ham diced
160 g of Sweetcorn
300 ml of Reduced fat crème fraîche
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
320 g of Puff pastry
1 Egg whisked

UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
Soften the vegetables. Heat 1 teaspoon of Olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
Add 1 Leek (sliced) and 1 Shallot (diced) and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.
Add the flour. Stir in 50 g of Plain flour until it coats the vegetables. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, so there is no dry flour remaining.
Start the sauce. Pour in approximately 30 ml of Chicken stock and stir well to form a smooth paste. This helps prevent lumps in the sauce.
Add the remaining stock. Gradually stir in 170 ml of Chicken stock. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add the chicken and ham. Add 400 g of Leftover cooked chicken (shredded), 125 g of Ham (diced), 160 g of Sweetcorn, 300 ml of Reduced fat crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper.
Stir everything together gently until well combined. The filling should be creamy and thick enough to coat the chicken without being watery.
Transfer to the dish. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish and leave to cool for at least 5 minutes before adding the pastry.

We used a 25 x 16 x 6cm (approximately 10 x 6 x 2.5 inch) ovenproof baking dish.

Add the puff pastry. Place 320 g of Puff pastry over the filling and tuck the edges around the rim of the dish to form a crust.
Brush with 1 Egg (whisked) and make a couple of small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown and the filling is piping hot throughout.
Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Use cooked chicken - This is a leftover chicken pie recipe, so the meat should already be cooked before adding it to the sauce. Raw chicken will not cook reliably using the same method.
Keep the sauce thick - If the filling looks too runny, simmer it gently for another minute or two before transferring it to the baking dish. If it becomes too thick, stir in a small splash of stock.
Avoid soggy pastry - Let the filling cool slightly before adding the pastry. Very hot, steaming filling can soften the pastry from underneath.
Keep the pastry cold - Take it out of the fridge just before you need it. Don't stretch it tightly over the baking dish, as this can cause it to shrink.
Cut vegetables small - If adding broccoli or cauliflower, cut the florets into small pieces and cook them briefly first if needed, so they're tender when the pie is ready.
Add steam holes - Make a couple of small cuts in the top of the pastry so steam can escape while the pie bakes.
Decorate with leftover pastry - Use any offcuts to make little stars, hearts or leaves for the top. It's a lovely way to make the pie look special without much extra effort.
Be careful with salt - Ham and chicken stock can both be salty, so taste the filling before adding extra seasoning.
Add fresh herbs - A little chopped parsley adds freshness to the creamy sauce.

Nutrition

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