{"id":367,"date":"2022-11-28T18:37:16","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T19:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/academyloansonline.com\/?p=367"},"modified":"2023-03-15T11:34:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T11:34:30","slug":"chicken-bacon-mashed-potato-pie-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/academyloansonline.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/28\/chicken-bacon-mashed-potato-pie-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicken & Bacon Mashed Potato Pie"},"content":{"rendered":"

This chicken and bacon pie is topped with mashed potato to create the ultimate comfort dinner!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Comfort food really doesn\u2019t get comfier than this. So grab your eating pants and follow me\u2026<\/p>\n

\"chicken<\/p>\n

Chicken and Bacon<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Chicken and bacon is a glorious combination, and today we\u2019re celebrating it in the form of a pie. Maybe a slightly unconventional pie, but a pie nonetheless \ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n

What cut of chicken to use?<\/em><\/h3>\n

I love using chicken thighs for this recipe. It\u2019s fattier<\/strong> and more flavoursome<\/strong> than breast. Plus, it\u2019s much more difficult to overcook dark chicken meat. And seeing as we\u2019re going to be frying, simmering and baking the chicken, you want a cut of meat that can take the heat!<\/p>\n

Can I use breast instead?<\/em><\/h3>\n

For the above reasons I highly recommend using thigh, but breast will still work. Just make sure you only give it a quick fry to pick up colour \u2013 don\u2019t cook it all the way through!<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve fried the chicken, remove it from the pan and fry the bacon. From there you can use the excess bacon fat<\/strong> to carry on with the recipe \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n

Process shots: add seasoned chicken to pan with oil (photo 1), sear both sides (photo 2), remove then add bacon (photo 3), fry until crisp (photo 4).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"4<\/p>\n

Chicken and Bacon Pie Filling<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The final main ingredient in the filling is leek<\/strong>. This is a familiar face in many pies, and it works tremendously well here with the chicken and bacon.<\/p>\n

Pie Gravy<\/h3>\n

For the sauce\/gravy, the base will be chicken stock<\/strong>, but I also like to add a touch of creaminess too. As such, I love adding some double\/heavy cream and cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche. The cream provides that gorgeous rich creaminess, whilst the cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche carries on with the creaminess, but the touch of acidity also helps mellow out the gravy.<\/p>\n

Thickening the gravy<\/h3>\n

I highly recommend simmering the sauce for 10mins or so, just until it\u2019s nice and thick<\/strong>. If the consistency is too thin the topping is likely to collapse into the filling. Plus the simmering time allows for the flavours to marry together<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Process shots: fry leek (photo 1), melt butter (photo 2), stir in flour (photo 3), add cream, cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche, dijon and thyme (photo 4), stir in cooked chicken (photo 5), simmer to thicken (photo 6).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"6<\/p>\n

Mashed Potato Pie<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Yes, most pies are indeed topped with pastry, but it\u2019s not uncommon for pies to be topped with mash (think Cottage Pie<\/a>, Shepherd\u2019s Pie<\/a> and Sausage & Mash Pie<\/a>).<\/p>\n

For the mash, we\u2019re keeping it somewhat simple and adding in butter<\/strong>, cream<\/strong> and cheddar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Steam drying the spuds<\/h3>\n

After you\u2019ve boiled the potatoes, drain them and let them to sit in the colander for a few mins so most of the steam to escape<\/strong>. This will allow the moisture to leave the potatoes<\/strong>, leaving them light and fluffy. If the mash is soggy it\u2019s going to collapse into the filling. You need it to be fairly sturdy!<\/p>\n

Process shots: drain potatoes (photo 1), add butter and cream (photo 2), mash then add cheddar and seasoning (photo 3), stir to combine (photo 4).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"4<\/p>\n

Chicken and Bacon Pie<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

As you can imagine, putting the pie together is fairly straightforward. Just a few tips for you:<\/p>\n