This warming chicken and bacon pie is the perfect comfort food for cold autumn and winter days or chilly summer nights. This pie is mild in flavour and has a cheesy, crunchy top, perfect for the whole family and small children. Easy to make and can be prepared in advance and reheated in the oven.
This pie freezes well, so you can make a double recipe and keep it in the freezer. This recipe feeds a family of 4 people.
For the filling you need:
220-250 grams of Chicken breast
4 medium-sized eggs
180 grams of diced bacon
1 medium-sized onion
1 garlic clove, minced
250 grams of red bell pepper
200 ml of creme fraiche
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of tomato paste or puree
½-1 teaspoon of salt (depending on how salty the bacon is)
2 good pinches of black pepper r to taste
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika powder
70 grams of grated parmesan cheese
70 grams of grated Goda, Emendale or Mozzarella cheese
Fresh herbs, such as oregano, basil, parsley or chives, roughly chopped
For the pie crust you need:
4 tablespoons of ice-cold water
½ tablespoon of salt
152 grams of cold butter
300 ml flour
How you make the pie crust:
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Add flour, salt and ice-cold water to a bowl.
Cut the butter into smaller pieces and quickly work the dough with a knife.
When combined, flatten out the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
When the dough is rested, roll it out and place it into a pie dish, 28 cm in diameter.
Prick holes throughout the dough and place the pie crust in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
Blind bake the pie crust for 12 minutes in the lower part of the oven until slightly golden.
Start making the filling.
How you make the Pie and filling:
Chop the chicken, bacon, bell pepper and onion into bite-size pieces.
In a large pan, fry the chopped ingredients until the chicken and bacon are done and golden brown. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper whilst frying. At the last minute, before you remove the filling from the heat, add the garlic and stir well.
Set the filling aside to let it cool down a bit.
Mix egg, creme fraiche, salt, black pepper, paprika powder, lemon juice and tomato paste in a separate bowl. Stir until everything is combined and smooth.
When the mixture is smooth, add the grated cheese and the fresh herbs.
Pour the chicken filling into the bottom of the prebaked pie crust. Top the pie with the egg, cheese and creme fraiche mixture.
Bake the pie for another 30 minutes or until the pie has completely set and turned slightly golden on top.
Serve warm with a fresh salad on the side.
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