Chicken Bacon Mashed Potato Pie

Comfort food really doesn’t get comfier than this. So grab your eating pants and follow me…

Chicken and Bacon

Chicken and bacon is a glorious combination, and today we’re celebrating it in the form of a pie. Maybe a slightly unconventional pie, but a pie nonetheless

What cut of chicken to use?

I love using chicken thighs for this recipe. It’s fattier and more flavoursome than breast. Plus, it’s much more difficult to overcook dark chicken meat. And seeing as we’re going to be frying, simmering and baking the chicken, you want a cut of meat that can take the heat!

Can I use breast instead?

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 – don’t cook it all the way through! Once you’ve fried the chicken, remove it from the pan and fry the bacon. From there you can use the excess bacon fat to carry on with the recipe 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).

Chicken and Bacon Pie Filling

The final main ingredient in the filling is leek. This is a familiar face in many pies, and it works tremendously well here with the chicken and bacon.

Pie Gravy

For the sauce/gravy, the base will be chicken stock, but I also like to add a touch of creaminess too. As such, I love adding some double/heavy cream and crème fraîche. The cream provides that gorgeous rich creaminess, whilst the crème fraîche carries on with the creaminess, but the touch of acidity also helps mellow out the gravy.

Thickening the gravy

I highly recommend simmering the sauce for 10mins or so, just until it’s nice and thick. 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. Process shots: fry leek (photo 1), melt butter (photo 2), stir in flour (photo 3), add cream, crème fraîche, dijon and thyme (photo 4), stir in cooked chicken (photo 5), simmer to thicken (photo 6).

Mashed Potato Pie

Yes, most pies are indeed topped with pastry, but it’s not uncommon for pies to be topped with mash (think Cottage Pie, Shepherd’s Pie and Sausage & Mash Pie). For the mash, we’re keeping it somewhat simple and adding in butter, cream and cheddar.

Steam drying the spuds

After you’ve boiled the potatoes, drain them and let them to sit in the colander for a few mins so most of the steam to escape. This will allow the moisture to leave the potatoes, leaving them light and fluffy. If the mash is soggy it’s going to collapse into the filling. You need it to be fairly sturdy! 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).

Chicken and Bacon Pie

As you can imagine, putting the pie together is fairly straightforward. Just a few tips for you:

Filling – I highly recommend letting the filling sit in the dish for at least 5mins before topping it with the mash. This will allow a ‘skin’ to form, which will create a barrier and keep the pie sturdy as it bakes. Fluff – Use a fork to fluff the mash before baking. This will give you lots of gorgeous crispy bits! Rest – Before tucking in, wait 5mins to allow the pie to hold its shape.

Can I prep this ahead of time?

You sure can! I’ve added a section on this in the recipe card notes below. Process shots: add filling to baking dish (photo 1), add mash and fluff with fork (photo 2), bake (photo 3), rest then tuck in (photo 4).

Serving Chicken and Bacon Pie

This pie will feed 4 hungry people or 5 modest portions with a side. Any sort of veg will work great – my favourite options are Broccolini, Green Beans or even Brussels Sprouts! After another pie recipe? Check out my Chicken, Leek & Mushroom Pie, Steak and Guinness Pie and Cowboy Pie! Alrighty, let’s tuck into this chicken and bacon pie shall we?!