This chicken and mushroom pie is quick to make and uses up leftover cooked chicken.
Who doesn't like pie? Well, there must be someone out there who doesn't, but I'm not sure who that is. Seriously, a good pie is hard to beat as a great family meal.
Perfect Pie - Perfect Meal
When I said I was going to make a chicken and mushroom pie for the blog, my eldest son was so happy I felt guilty I hadn't made one for such a long time. Funny how a simple dish can bring such pleasure.
Making a pie seems like too much hard work at times, but it really isn't. When I make pies I find myself wondering why don't I make them much more often.
Lets face it, they are delicious! If you follow my step by step method on how to make shortcrust pastry you will have knocked up a batch of pastry in no time. Then it's just a case of making a filling.
Pies taste so good it would be shame not to make them a regular feature on your table. So, do as I say and not as I do, and make them regularly. I will even try to follow my own advice more often!
Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Chicken and mushroom pie is one of the first savoury recipes I made as a child and I still have the 1970s Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book the recipe came from.
Although I have adapted and changed it over the years, I'm still using the same basic method. Looking back at it today I noticed the recipe was actually a Mary Berry recipe. Interestingly it only used 2oz (no grams in that book) of mushrooms, which seems such a tiny amount now. I'm guessing they were more expensive back then.
The sauce itself is made up of stock and milk, seasoned with salt and pepper. I now cram in a bit more chicken as well as a lot more mushrooms, and I like to add an onion for extra flavour.
The sauce is still pretty simple but I do like to add a good dollop of whole grain mustard. In the summer I sometimes add some chopped fresh tarragon instead of the mustard.
Why not try one of my other savoury pie recipes made easy
- Steak, Mushroom and ale pie
- Really easy beef and tomato pie
- Spinach, Ricotta and Feta pie
- Turkey and Chorizo Pot Pie
Step By Step Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Saute onions, add mushrooms. Stir in flour. Gradually add the milk and stock, cook until thickened. Add chicken. Spoon filling into pastry case. Cover with pastry. Pinch edges together. Decoarte with pastry trimmings.
Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Equipment
- deep pie plate
Ingredients
- about 350 g cooked chicken
- 25 g butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 150 g button mushrooms sliced
- 25 g flour
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 150 ml milk
- 2 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pastry:
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g butter
- beaten egg to glaze
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently for a few minutes until beginning to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook while stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the stock, followed by the milk. Return to the heat and cook while stirring until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustard and season to taste. Allow to cool stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
- Meanwhile make the pastry (see how to make shortcrust pastry). Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 210℃ (190℃ fan)/425°F /gas mark 7. Divide the pastry into two and roll out each piece into a large circle. Use one piece to line a 20cm/8in deep pie plate.
- Stir the cooked chicken into the cooled mushroom sauce and spoon into the centre of the pie.
- Moisten the edge of the pastry with water and place the second circle of pastry on top. Trim the edges and press the edges together to seal.
- Make a slit in the centre of the pie and use the pastry trimmings to decorate the top. Secure in place with a little beaten egg. Brush the whole of the pastry top with beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190℃ (170℃ fan)/375°F /gas mark 5 and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Laura says
Apologies for any grammar mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.
I was thinking to make this pie, the recipe looks great, but I wonder if I shouldn't pre bake the crust before adding the filling. I usually end up with a soggy bottom if I don't pre bake and I really like my pies crunchy. I use porcelain or glass to bake my pies. I've never seen metal ones were I live. What do you think, if I use glass, should I pre bake, and do you think I need to adjust the advised baking time in that case? I think that should stay pretty much the same. please let me know what your thoughts are.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
No need to apologise at all your English is excellent. I find you dont need to pre bake and the pastry is cripsy however that said the dish you use can make a difference metal tranfers heat better than glass or porcelain so will produce a crisper crust. If you usually get a soggy bottom then yes it might be worth pre baking the bottom crust I would think 10-15 minutes at 200C weighted with baking beans then bake as per recipe.
If you want to try avoid the necessity of pre baking if you oven has elements at the top and bottom try placing lower in the oven so the base of the pie is nearer the heat source. Or you could try baking for long just watch the top crust doesn't burn.
Let me know how you get on I would love to know.
Sid ( male ) says
I made this pie i used bought chichen stock, and i used 3 round foil trays, there was plenty for all 3 foil tins, i ate one delivered one to my older sister, and i frozen the other, really enjoyed the pie, great recipe, easy to follow, for a 73 year old motor mechanic, retired but enjoy good food and cooking it, a big thank you.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you for taking the time to comment, I can not tell you just how much I love reading comments like this. Im so pleased you enjoyed the pies and I do hope you enjoy cooking more of my recipes.
Rhianna Mitchell says
Absolutely lovely pie recipe! Came out better than expected. Lovely creamy filling with a golden finish on top. Served it with roast potatoes, broccoli and some chicken gravy. Highly recommend this, quick, simple but effective dish. Thank you for bringing another meal into play!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate this recipe Im so very happy you enjoyed it.
June says
My family loved this.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So happy to hear that, thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. Always appricated.
Michael says
what ratio do you split the pastry for lining the tin and using for the topping?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I use approximately ⅓ for the top and two for the base.
Sue says
We love your pie , This has become my favourite way of using the leftover chicken from our Sunday roast. Thank you.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Fabulous, it sure is a nice treat in the week. 🙂
Raine says
Just lovely! I make roast chicken earch week and like finding new meals to make with leftover chicken. This is lovely. I also made the filling & had with pasta with garlic bread & really delish!! Thank you
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
What a great idea to serve with pasta. Im so happy you liked the recipe.
Rory says
Hi Jacqueline,
Made this pie today and it was a great success, really tasty, bottom slightly underdone, but that was more down to only having a normal porcelain plate to use, must get a proper enamel pie plate. Thanks again, only slight change I would make would be to use half of mustard amount, but that’s just personal taste.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Rory, Glad you like the pie. Cooking in a metal pie plate really does help avoid a soggy bottom so defiantely worth investing in a enamel pie plate. Interesting you comment re mustard, Did you use a whole grain mustard? Im not a huge fan of mustard myself but i find a wholegrain mustard to be quite mild.
Steve says
Very tasty and cooked perfectly following instructions to the letter. Might try a "looser" filling next time using a little less flour in the sauce as it was quite thick. That said, I cannot fault the taste and, more importantly, my wife adored it.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Great news Steve I love hearing a recipe is a great success.
Keren Murphy says
Delicious! Clear and easy to follow. This went down a treat with my family. I don’t usually make a pie with a bottom due to previous pastry issues but the tips section meant that the pastry was cooked perfectly. I added some dried thyme and a little fresh parsley (out of mustard) and it was great. This will be a firm favourite. Thanks.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So happy you like the pie and have had success with a double crust. Hope you continue to enjoy this and more recipes made easy:)
Christine says
Have made this pie on a few occasions always very tasty and wondered if it is possible to freeze this pie before baking.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I'm very pleased you like the pie Christine, If you want to freeze the pie then yes it is best done before baking.I would defrost fully before baking.
eilleneo says
I made this pie today and it turned out beautifully. I followed your recipe and found it perfect thanks very much.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Oh how I just love comments like this. So pleased you the recipe turned out so well (cant get better than perfect!) and you liked the recipe this much. Thank you for telling me.
michael ayris says
I made this pie tonight. brilliant recipe. It's my second go at making it. annoyed with myself for forgetting to add 2 teaspoons of whole mustard. but ,still delicious. thank you. ps. the 20 mins and next 20 mins are clearly shown in the instructions
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Glad you liked the recipe and rated it so highly. Shame about the mustard but as you say not the end of the world.
Jess says
Thank you - Just made this pie - really good I would probably add a little more liquid / stock next time but turned out really well - I’d add pics but no where to up load them -
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So pleased you like it Jess, its one of my favourite pies.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I would love to see the pictures perhaps you can share them on my facebook page or email them to me jacqui@recipesmadeeasy.co.uk and I will share them on facebook. I need to look in to a way of readers can share their pictures on the site itself. but that may be beyond my technical capabilities!
Corinne says
This is the best pie I've ever made and it gets requested regularly by the (grown up) kids. I always use ready made pastry for convenience but follow everything else to the letter. Love it!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
and this is just the best comment I can get. Really pleased that you all enjoy it so much. My grown up kids love it too 🙂
Miranda Lipscombe says
Hi made this pie today. The instructions say to cook for 40 minutes and then turn the heat down but not for how long.
Also how do you stop the bottom going soggy?
Lovely pie but bottom really soggy
Thanks
Miranda
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Apolgies for taking a while to get back to you. I'm glad you liked the pie. I'm sorry I'm not sure what went wrong with the recipe it should have read cook at the higher temperature for 20 minutes then 20 minutes at the lower temperature. I've corrected that now.
Glad you liked the pie but I'm perplexed as to why you had such a soggy bottom! I cook the pie at the higher temperature, to begin with precisely to set the pastry quickly and prevent this. Then at the lower temperature so that the pie is in the oven long enough to heat the filling without burning the pastry.
What temperature did you cook the pie at? if it was the lower temperature that could explain why if the higher temperature I'm surprised the pastry didn't overcook
Metal pie plates always give the best results as they heat up quickly, glass or earthenware dishes are slower so this may have been an issue but I still would not expect it to be very soggy.
Only other thought is maybe the filling was too wet but if you followed the recipe that should not have been the case. Hope this helps Jacqui
Miranda Gilpin says
I cooked this tonight and substituted the mushrooms, which I didn't have, for sweet corn. I have never cooked with pastry before, so this was a trial run.
It was truly delicious and will be cooked again. Everyone loved it! Thank you.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I'm so pleased you liked it Miranda and glad you gave making a pastry a go it is always so rewarding when you try a new skill and it works. No looking back now 😉 Sweetcorn is a great alternative to the mushrooms it's a combination I like too. Jacqui x
ANN CHAPPELL says
Doesn't state how many onions
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
It was 1 onion wand i have now updated the recipesThank you for pointing that out, not sure how it has been missed so long.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Ooh we love pie in this house too Jacqui! They're just so comforting aren't they, and not so difficult to make either really. I love that you've made the crust a little more interesting with the plait too, it's very pretty!
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
I know what you mean, but once you start they really dont take that long, especially with a lovely quick filling like this. Definitely better than any shop bought pie!
Monika Dabrowski says
Your pie looks so pretty Jacqui, and I love the filling. I agree with you that it's such a great classic dish, timeless and delicious, not likely to disappear from our tables.
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Thank you Monika. Glad you like it.