These Chicken and Fennel Pies are simple and delicious and sure to be a family favourite!
Since I got my Kmart pie maker, I have become a bit obsessed with making pies. I love making pies with or without a pie maker, only it’s quicker and easier with the machine and the pies are smaller so they’re not so wicked to my waistline/
I enjoy eating meat but I’m not a fan of cooking it so mince is my meaty staple. It’s easier to cook (even I can’t stuff it up,) it’s super yummy and it’s easy on my wallet too! These pies are the ultimate comfort food and they taste as good cold as they do hot so they go great in a lunch box too! We love the little chunks of potato and the subtle fennel flavour – it’s extra special!
When I fly solo to the motherland and leave David to fend for himself, I usually leave him a variety of dishes in the freezer so he doesn’t starve. This time though, I’m just leaving him a variety of pies. At the rate, I’m going, there will be a different pie for every day of the week!
I’ve updated this recipe with traditional and pie maker instructions, as usual the pie maker recipe will give a greater yield because the pies are smaller but however you make these, they’ll be a winner, winner chicken dinner!
Do you like cooking meat? If I looked inside your freezer, what would I find?!
Makes 4
Ingredients – Oven Bake
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly
500g chicken mince
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 potato, cut into 1cm diced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 x 200g sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry, halved diagonally
1 x 200g sheets store-bought puff pastry, quartered
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
How to – Oven Bake
FOR THE FILLING
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fennel and cook until softened.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through.
- Add flour and stir until it starts to bubble. Then gradually stir in the stock.
- Add the potato and cook occasionally, until the potato is tender and the mixture has started to thicken. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in parsley and season well. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
FOR THE PIES
- Preheat oven to 200 C /180C fan-forced,
- Lightly grease four 1-cup (250ml) pie dishes. Line the base and side of each dish with shortcrust pastry; trim edges.
- Divide the chicken mixture between the pastry cases, and top with puff pastry. Trim the edges, brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with the fennel seeds. Place t dishes on oven tray.
- Place the dishes on an oven tray and bake pies for about 45 minutes or until browned.
- Allow the pies to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients – Pie Maker
Makes 8 pies in Kmart Pie Maker
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly
500g chicken mince
¼ cup (35g) plain flour
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 potato, cut into 1cm diced
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 x 200g sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry
2 x 200g sheets store-bought puff pastry, quartered
How to – Pie Maker
FOR THE FILLING
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fennel and cook until softened.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through.
- Add flour and stir until it starts to bubble. Then gradually stir in the stock.
- Add the potato and cook occasionally, until the potato is tender and the mixture has started to thicken. This should take about 10 minutes.
FOR THE PIES
- Defrost pastry sheets.
- Preheat the pie maker and with the pie maker cutter cut 4 large circles from each sheet of shortcrust pastry and 4 small circles from each sheet of puff.
- Line each of the pie holes with a circle of shortcrust pastry, fill with 1/4 cu chicken mixture and top with a circle of puff pastry. Gently press the edges, top with a puff pastry heart if desired, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until golden.
- Continue until you have used all the meat mixture.
