Chicken & Mushroom Pies …

Chicken & Mushroom Pies 001

 

One of my favourite appliances in my kitchen is a little pie maker. I bought it from Crazy Clarks for the princely sum of $12.00. I remember exactly what I paid for it because I thought I might have been the crazy one buying a no-brand appliance for next to nothing and I was convinced it wouldn’t last and would break down fairly quickly. Well, 10 years later and my little pie maker is still going strong and it gets used all the time.  I make so many different types of pies in it, both savoury and sweet, and this Chicken and Mushroom Pie is definitely one of our favourites.

 

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Little pies are perfect because they’re just the right size for kids. You can make the fillings reasonably healthy but because it’s enclosed in a lovely crispy Puff Pastry crust, everyone still feels like they’re having a treat.

 

I’ll share more pie recipes soon but another reason I love these recipes is that they create enough for dinner with leftovers for lunchboxes the next day … that save me heaps of time and everyone gets something different for lunch … love it! Enjoy!

 

Chicken & Mushroom Pies …
 
Author:
Serves: 12 - 14 pies
Ingredients ...
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
  • 2 sticks celery, chopped finely
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 500g chicken tenderloin, chopped finely
  • 400g mushrooms, chopped finely
  • 3 teaspoons plain flour
  • 200ml light cream
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped finely
  • puff pastry sheets
  • sesame seeds
Method ...
  1. Heat oil in medium frying pan, cook onion, celery and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.
  2. Add chicken and cook until chicken just changes colour, add mushrooms and cook lightly.
  3. Add flour, cook, stirring for 1 minute.
  4. Remove from heat and gradually add cream. When combined, return pan to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens.
  5. Stir in parsley; cool.
  6. Preheat pie cooker and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Cut rounds of puff pastry for base and top; placing bases in pie maker. Spoon in filling, cover with top and press edges together using a fork or spoon to firmly seal. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Close lid of pie maker and bake until browned all over. Remove from pie maker and allow to cool slightly before serving.

 

 

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Clever Tricks, Tips and Hints …

 

  • Previously I’ve shared my recipe for a family-sized Curried Chicken Pie on the blog. I often use that mix to create small pies and it’s delicious.

 

  • I find the tops of the pies brown sufficiently in the pie maker but you can also brush the tops with some beaten egg.

 

  • If serving these for children, in particular, allow the pies to cool slightly as the filling will be quite hot after cooking in the pie maker.

 

  • Any pies that will be saved for lunchboxes the next day, allow these to cool on a cooling rack to prevent the bases from becoming soggy.

 

  • For a bit of fun, I usually cut out letters with the leftover puff pastry and place the first initial of each person on their individual pie … the kids love it!

 

  • If you don’t have a pie maker, try placing the filling on a square of puff pastry (cut 1 sheet into quarters) and wrap it to form a small “parcel”. Brush the top with lightly beaten egg and place on a baking tray that’s been lined with baking paper. Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 180C (fan-forced).

 

Curried Chicken Pie 001