Back to Basics. Chicken (or Turkey) pies.

Yesterday I filled the slow cooker with chicken and veggies.   Often I would serve this on day one with some mashed potato or even some rice.    It's makes a lovely meal.    This time I saved it all to make pies and refrigerated it over night so I could have a baking day today.

I am pretty sure everyone has their own recipe.  After making mine up I realised today I left out an ingredient!  Oh well it still turned out!  

My basic recipe is to chop a few onions and throw chunks of chicken into the slow cooker.

I don't bother to chop the chicken as later on it will easily break up.   I sprinkle it with black pepper.

Then I add a big heap of chopped celery and carrots.   Normally a drained can of corn or a couple of cups of frozen corn .... but it was corn that I forgot.

     

Overall I have about twice (or more) as many veggies as I do chicken.

Then I pour over a tin of cream of chicken soup and stir.   (No water.)

That is it.  Through the day I give it a stir and break up the chicken.   Veggies cook down and your pie filling looks more meaty.

The main thing is that the chicken is nice and tender.  I tasted this and thought mmm its ok but it could be better so I added a spoon of chicken stock powder.   THEN it was perfect!   

Today I made up eight gluten free pies.   One is for dinner.... seven will be frozen.  So I add a weeks worth of dinners to my freezer.

I made four regular pastry small pies... two are gifts.  

I made Chloe's family a huge pie which should serve six.... but if you did my Mum's trick of serving mashed potatoes or a side you would get eight.

And finally a smaller pie suitable for two people.

I think you get a lot more serves when you make pies about the right size for people.   A good way to make child sized ones is to line muffin pans with non stick paper then pastry.  

You can vary the veggies to your liking.  Leek and mushroom is really good!    You can use turkey.  You can use cooked meat left over from a roast... you just will not need to cook the filling so long.   You could top your pie with mashed potatoes.   

Another is to forget the chicken soup and pour a jar of cranberry sauce in with your chicken or turkey.   Or save meat left over from a roast, gravy and some roast veggies.  These are already cooked so just chop, blend and fill your pies.

I have heard people say someone won't eat left overs.    When these come out months after the original meal how on earth do they know?  

Once again this will give you freezer meals.   It will stretch or use up your meat.  It will pack a lot of veggies into your families diet.   It will hide a lot of veggies, if that is a trick you are needing.  😊

If you have a variation, or another recipe that would use up left over chicken or turkey,  please do share it.   Thank you to everyone who is helping us build up more and more basic recipes and ways to save! xxx