This comforting chicken mushroom pie is DELICIOUS. Layers of golden brown puff pastry filled with a creamy chicken and mushroom filling. Easy step by step instructions will get this on your table in no time!
What makes this chicken mushroom pie so good?
So many things!
The crust:
For one, most chicken pie recipes use only a single crust, where the filling is topped with crust.
This uses a bottom and top crust, and let’s be honest, more crust is always a good thing! We make sure that the bottom crust isn’t gummy or doughy by doing a quick blind bake before filling the pie.
Also, the dough in this chicken mushroom pie is a very easy ready made puff pastry dough. Not only is this more convenient, but I could really argue that it’s tastier than traditional pie crust chicken pies.
The puff pastry is golden and flakey, and soaks in all the flavor from the filling so well.
The chicken:
Instead of big chunks of chewy chicken, boiling the chicken breasts and shredding them accomplishes several things. One, it gives us quick homemade chicken stock which infuses so much flavor into the sauce.
Second, I find it much more pleasant to eat shredded chicken that combines seamless into the creamy sauce instead of big chunks of chicken.
It’s also much less work than pan frying chicken chunks. You don’t even have to cut the chicken up before cooking it, unlike with most recipes.
The sauce:
The sauce manages to be so creamy without using any cream at all. Just the right amount of flour, butter and milk give all the thickness and richness that we need.
It’s enhanced with diced onion and garlic, and simple seasoning like thyme and oregano, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg.
As mentioned above, adding the homemade chicken stock really finishes the sauce off perfectly.
The mix-ins:
Mushrooms and chicken are the perfect pairing. Besides this, adding a little frozen corn and peas, two other vegetables that go great with chicken (no need to thaw) gives more texture and interest to this.
Steps to make a chicken puff pastry pie:
Blind bake the crust: 15 minutes or so until light golden brown and set.
Prepare the chicken and make the stock: boil the chicken breasts with some aromatics until fully cooked, cool and shred while reserving the water to use in the sauce.
Make the sauce: Sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms and seasoning in some butter, sprinkle flour on top and add milk and chicken stock. Whisk until thickened and combined, around 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the shredded chicken in as well as the frozen corn and peas.
Assemble: Pour chicken filling onto the pre-baked crust, scatter the shredded mozzarella cheese on top, then top with the second puff pastry lid. Brush with an egg wash and bake until golden brown.
How to work with puff pastry:
The puff pastry should be thawed before using, but I find that it thaws very easily on the counter in 30 minutes or so. You can also thaw it in the fridge overnight. If it gets too soft, it might be hard to work with, so you can pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so until it firms up.
I like to very lightly flour the surface that I’ll be rolling out the dough on to avoid it sticking. Don’t worry if it tears a little, you can patch up any cracks with extra dough.
You’ll probably have a little tiny bit of puff pastry dough left over, which you can cut cute little shapes out of to decorate. I made very amateur leaves and a twisted dough border to line the edges of the pan with.
Storing leftover chicken pie:
Leftover pie tastes delicious! Store it tightly covered in the fridge, and preheat in the oven or microwave within 3-4 days.
This would be great frozen, and would last 4-6 months in the freezer.
Chicken Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 2 packs of puff pastry dough, thawed each pack 400 g or 0.9lb by weight
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp cold water
For the chicken:
- 6 chicken breasts around 500 g or 1 lb
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- big pinch of salt and pepper
For the sauce and mix ins:
- 1 onion, diced small
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 pack button mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1/2 cup each frozen peas and frozen corn kernels no need to thaw
- 1/2 stick butter 50g (1/4 cup)
- 6 tbsp flour 50g
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 2/3 cup chicken stock (from boiling the chicken in this recipe) 400 ml
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Blind bake the pastry:
- Heat oven to 390F (200C).
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry to the size of a 9×13 inch pan. Transfer the dough to the pan, prick all over with a fork, then add some weight to the dough by either placing a smaller sized pan on top of the larger pan, or adding some parchment paper and filling with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
For the chicken:
- Place the chicken breasts in a large saucepan. Add the onion wedges, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper. Cover with water until chicken is submerged.
- Bring to a boil, then scoop off any foam that forms on the surface. Boil uncovered for 20 minutes or so until chicken is cooked through. Turn off the heat, remove chicken breasts to a plate. Keep the stock, we'll use this in the sauce!
- Once the chicken breasts have cooled enough to handle, then use your fingers to shred the chicken evenly. Set aside.
For the sauce:
- In a separate pot, add the butter and heat on medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 5 min or so until softened.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme or oregano, nutmeg and salt. Sauté another 2-3 min or until mushrooms soften slightly. They'll cook further in the oven.
- Sprinkle the flour onto the mushrooms, then add the milk and chicken stock (from the pot of water you boiled chicken in). Keep cooking on medium heat while whisking, 5-7 minutes or until thickened to a gravy consistency.
- Add the shredded chicken, corn and peas. Mix to combine. You'll have a thick and creamy filling.
To assemble:
- Layer the chicken filling onto the baked puff pastry shell. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry dough until large enough to fit the 9×13 inch pan, then carefully transfer it on top of the chicken filling. Trim any excess dough, and If you you can use that to make puff pastry shapes like leaves or ropes to line the pan with.
- Mix together the egg and cold water with a fork, and use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash evenly over the top of the puff pastry. You probably won't need all of it.
- Bake at 390F (200C) for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it, then enjoy warm.
Notes
Chicken Mushroom Pie by everylittlecrumb on Jumprope.Copy to clipboard
If you want more great recipes using chicken breasts, try these:
Looks delicious. I’m always looking at tapping into more savoury pie recipes. Looks like a keeper!!
You’ll love this one!!
This Chicken Mushroom Pie is perfection! So flavorful and comforting, my family gobbled this up. Will make again for sure!
So happy to hear that Angela!!
Your photos have my stomach growling so I guess I know I’m making for dinner tonight! Sounds amazing!
That’s great ! Hope you like it Jen
This is my husband’s favorite meal! 🙂
Great taste!