Comfort Food: How to Make a Savory Cold Chicken and Sausage Pie

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This savory cold chicken and sausage pie is full of delicious meat and topped with sweet and tart cranberry sauce. It is the perfect lunch, party, or, as the spring approaches, picnic food.

It can be made ahead and will last, stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days.

What makes this pie so delicious is that stuffing is added to the sausage meat. Not only does this mean that your pie filling goes much further but it adds so much flavour. Just mix the stuffing according to the package instructions and mix it with the sausage.

In regards to the sausage meat I normally use sausages and take the skins off. A packet of sausages is usually far better value price-wise than a packet of sausage meat.

I also use cooked chicken in this recipe. You can of course use raw chicken just as well and it will not affect the cooking time. However, I find that the juices from the sausage mixture and the cranberry sauce keep the chicken moist enough while avoiding any extra liquid.

The pastry used for this pie is hot water crust pastry. If you have never made this before do give it a go. It is a really enjoyable one to work with. All you have to ensure is that you work quickly and do not allow the pastry to get cold as it will crack. Any leftover pastry freezes well.

For extra help, you can watch the video at the bottom of the page. Do not forget to pin this recipe on Pinterest and let me know in the comments below if you make it!

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Savory Cold Chicken and Sausage Pie

Ingredients:

Hot water pastry:

425g Plain flour

1tsp Salt

150g Lard, diced

150ml Milk and water mix

Filling:

150g Sausagemeat

50g Stuffing, Mixed according to package instruction (See note)

2tsp salt

1/2tsp Ground black pepper

2tsp Mixed herbs

1tsp Paprika

175g Cranberry sauce

250g Cooked chopped chicken (See note)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 15cm loose-based springform tin.

• To prepare the filling, mix the sausage meat and stuffing together with the herbs, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.

• Into a medium saucepan, pour the milk and water and add the lard.

• Heat until the mixture just begins to boil and the lard has melted.

• Allow to cool for just a minute and then add in the flour and salt to the lard mixture.

• Using a spoon or spatula, mix to combine.

• Finish bringing the dough together by hand, taking care as it will be quite hot. Do not add any more liquid as the more you knead the more soft and moist the dough will become.

• Place the dough on a clean work surface and cut 1/3 off. Set this aside for the lid of the pie.

• Working quickly, as you do not want the dough to cool too much, roll it out to line the baking tin.

• Spoon the sausage meat mixture into the pan and press down.

• Place all of the chicken on top and again press down.

• Spoon the cranberry sauce so that there is an even layer on top of the chicken.

• Roll out the remaining pastry put aside earlier. If this has cooled too much you can place it in the microwave for 10 seconds.

• Cover the pie with the pastry and seal the edges, trimming off any excess.

• Using a sharp knife cut a X or hole in the middle of the pie.

• Use trimmings to decorate if you wish and brush with the egg wash.

• Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check after 1 hour and if needed cover with a piece of foil to stop over browning.

• Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.