Chicken & stuffing picnic pie

Chicken & stuffing picnic pie

Making suet shortcrust pastry from scratch is satisfying and ideal for this king-sized chicken pie with sausage, sage and onion

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 35 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 15 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Season the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the chicken very quickly on each side - you might need to fry these in batches. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through. Set aside.
  2. Set aside 2 tbsp of the stuffing mixture. Make up the rest using half the amount of water that the packet says.
  3. Make the pastry by tipping the flour into a food processor with 1 tsp salt. Add the butter and suet, and whizz to fine crumbs (or rub in with your fingers if you don't have a food processor). With the motor running (or stir with a fork), dribble in 150ml cold water until the pastry just comes together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a dough. Cover one-third while you roll out the rest to line an oiled, 20cm round springform or loose-bottomed tin.
  4. Spoon the stuffing into the base of the pie, packing down well and smoothing the top. Arrange the chicken pieces over, cutting to fit like a jigsaw puzzle to fill in any gaps. Squeeze sausagemeat from skins and press evenly over the top, then scatter over the reserved dry stuffing. Roll out the reserved pastry until big enough to cover the pie with an overlap. Brush the edge of the pie with egg, then lift on the pastry lid and press edges to seal before trimming and rolling down excess to thoroughly seal.
  5. Decorate by crimping the edges or pressing them with the prongs of a fork, then cut a little hole in the middle of the pastry to let steam escape. Brush all over with more egg (don't throw the leftover egg away).
  6. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 50 mins. Brush all over again with egg and cook for another 10 mins. Cool in the tin, then thickly slice for a picnic or lunch. Or wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months.

PER SERVING (10)

539 kcalories, protein 27g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 30 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 2 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo patrick

    23 May 2012

    patrick commented on this recipe

    love to try this, what is in the stuffing ready mix? need to improvise out in the colonies!

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  • Binder photo Lisa

    23 May 2012

    Lisa rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I made this for a BBQ last week. Not cheap to make but everyone enjoyed it although I found it a little too dry. I didn't push all the ingredients together enough so when I came to cut it it fell apart. Best eaten chilled after 24hrs or so. Will make again.

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  • Binder photo WIGirl

    25 May 2012

    WIGirl commented on this recipe

    @ Patrick If you're here in the US, then I think that the nearest equivalent would be either Stove-Top stuffing or Pepperidge Farm.

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  • Binder photo Sally

    03 June 2012

    Sally rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I made this last night for a jubilee picnic today. Pastry isn't my forte but this was pretty forgiving and the filling was great. I was a bit worried that I hadn't cooked the chicken enough but the recipe said not to worry so I didn't and it was fine and not too dry. I might make it again with a layer of mushrooms of something though. I made a pastry crown out of the offcuts to make it more jubilee-tastic, and the egg glaze made it lovely and golden.

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  • Binder photo pynner

    05 June 2012

    pynner rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I usually cheat and use ready made short crust pastry for 'picnic' pies but I am pleased I made the pastry as per the recipe - it was quick and easy to make and the finished pie looked and tasted great.

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  • Binder photo linda`s

    24 June 2012

    linda`s rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made this today, and it is gorgeous, looks hard but was easy and looked good, not dry at all. love the idea of a layer of mushrooms as suggested earlier. Going to make a couple to take on a family get together in summer.

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  • Binder photo Lainey

    25 July 2012

    Lainey commented on this recipe

    How about a layer of big field mushrooms - they would look good. Do you think you should cook them first otherwise too much juice would come out of them and make a soggy pie??

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  • Binder photo Dobenut

    31 July 2012

    Dobenut commented on this recipe

    Made this and took half to my parents as it is rather big! We loved it and so did my parents. It did fall apart a little, but perhaps I didn't press the chicken down enough. I did wonder whether to pour some gelatine down into pie so it holds it together better. May try it next time as I will definitely make again.

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  • Binder photo Lolly

    15 August 2012

    Lolly rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this today using left over chicken from a roast dinner & it was absolutely yummy! I halved the recipe & just used what there was of the left over chicken & cooked it in a normal pie dish for the stated time. I shall definitely be making this again! Fab! :)

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  • Binder photo Morticia

    16 August 2012

    Morticia rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I can't wait for the chance to make this once, it sounds delicious, however why packet stuffing, why not simply making a simple stuffing from scratch, it's so easy and also more flavoursome. Also I find packet stuffing tends to give indigestion.

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  • Binder photo Morticia

    16 August 2012

    Morticia commented on this recipe

    I can't wait for the chance to make this once, it sounds delicious, however why packet stuffing, why not simply making a simple stuffing from scratch, it's so easy and also more flavoursome. Also I find packet stuffing tends to give indigestion.

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  • Binder photo terri's

    18 August 2012

    terri's commented on this recipe

    ihave made this a few times, i have added spice to the stuffing mix and wild mushrooms it is a great Pie that you can add your own touch on.

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  • Binder photo wixie

    09 September 2012

    wixie commented on this recipe

    i halved all the ingredients and made mine in a loaf tin, it came out fab and sliced much easier

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  • Binder photo Ariella Cloud

    28 October 2012

    Ariella Cloud commented on this recipe

    i made this with another good food salad recipie the day before we went camping to take on holiday beacuse after unpaking we dont feel like cooking and this went down really well and plan to make this again wednesday :)

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  • Binder photo Loopygigglelips

    31 October 2012

    Loopygigglelips commented on this recipe

    What a winner!!!!! I don't generally make pies but this one sounded too good to resist. Pastry was easy, filling was tasty, it does tend to collapse a bit though when cutting into it.

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  • Binder photo June Finlay

    03 November 2012

    June Finlay commented on this recipe

    I made this for a centre peice for my birthday party food table...everyone loved it and thought i'd had caterers in! Love it!

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  • Binder photo PanClanger

    01 January 2013

    PanClanger rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this pie yesterday for today's buffet style New Year's lunch, and it was gorgeous! Looked very professional despite my ham-fisted attempts at crimping the pastry to seal. Lovely savoury flavours, moist and satisfying. I was worried that all that densely-packed meat wouldn't cook through within the allotted time, but my fears were unfounded. Lovely with pickles and salad.

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  • Binder photo Stormers Girl

    16 February 2013

    Stormers Girl rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easy to make and very impressive when it comes out of the picnic basket! I would however make my own stuffing and put a layer of wet stuffing on the top otherwise it does go a bit dry the day after making it. My husband suggested making a chicken stock with gelatine in it to act as a filling between the pastry and the meat which I might try next time I make it. Flavours were yummy but think a home made apple and cranberry stuffing would add to it and to the moistness. Pastry was superb. We had it for Valentine , watching Love Actually, under the stars at an outdoor cinema under the mountain in Cape Town with champagne so was spectacular and befitting for the occasion.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 35 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 15 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 600-650g/1lb 5oz-1lb 7oz skinless chicken breasts (about 5 breasts), each halved to make 2 thin breasts
  • 1 tbsp oil , plus extra for the tin
  • 170g pack breadcrumb stuffing mix (we used Paxo sage & onion)
  • 500g good-quality flavoured sausages (we used pork & leek)
  • 1 egg , beaten

FOR THE PASTRY

  • 400g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
  • 100g butter , diced
  • 100g light suet
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PER SERVING (10)

539 kcalories, protein 27g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 30 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 2 g

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